Poker stake rules II
Protection play in poker in order to preserve one’s winning can be done by keeping to the table stake rules. Most poker cash games are permitted a leeway of safety in terms of blind bets. A case in point is a no limit game of $2/$4 where minimum bet can be as low as $40 and the high set at $200; this range of 10 to 50 big blinds acting as some protection for the players.
If a situation arises when a player fails to call a bet with the amount of stake he is left with, some special rules become applicable. So, if the current bet that is going round the game table is too much for any player to call and he wishes not to fold his hand but call the bet, he can wager whatever stake he has with him and announce that he has gone all-in. If this happens, the player has the handicap of not being able to win any more than the amount that he has staked, but he gets the chance to remain in hand till the deal is over without needing to call any more. Poker games played for no limit give a player the choice to stake his entire stock and thus go all-in at the very opening of betting.
The reason why going all-in can be advantageous to a player is that he is proof from being bluffed and has the right to go for a showdown without needing to participate in any more betting action. Any money that is over and above the pot limit set by a player’s going all-in is put in the side pot and not the main pot in a game, a fact that is also beneficial for the all-in player. This is because his opponents who have to go through the usual motions of betting action can bluff one another over the side pot value and if any player folds his hand, it cuts down competition for the main pot and gives the all-in player a better chance to win it.
