Feb

16

Understanding Cap Betting


Cap betting is a poker rule that refers to limiting the amount of bets that can be made on any given round in Texas Hold’em poker. In fact, it could be in any game poker but is most often asked about from hold’em players, who frequent casinos to play live, poker tables.

Cap betting is short for capping the bets, as in putting a lid on it. Of course this is only found in limit type, poker games, as it wouldn’t make any sense to have such rule in no limit games. Now cap betting refers to the amount of bets per round, and not the amount of money in a pot, which you would find in a pot limit poker game.

Usually bets and raises per round are limited to four times the current bet. So if you are at a $2/$4 hold’em table before the flop, the maximum you’ll be able to put in the pot is $8, not accounting for blind money in there already. Fourth and fifth streets, you’ll be able to put in $16. Of course he won’t be the only person in the pot, and more of your opponents that are the bigger the pot is going to be. You may often hear at the table, especially in the lower limits, “cap it” as a result of raising and re-raising before the flop with marginal hands, and even more marginal players. Therein lies the real reason casinos have cap betting. It’s not to protect weaker players from losing all their money in one pot, it’s precisely the opposite.

The reason casinos do have cap betting is simple. They earn more rake by inviting more weaker players into each and every pot. This really boils down to the nature of low limit hold them players who simply crave action and want to participate in too many pots and then stay in a pot too long, typically calling. To limit the number of bets, rather than the amount of each bet, many pots become super-sized and offer great odds for drawing hands.

There is also a common rule in poker rooms that negates cap betting on 5th street when the action gets heads up, - between just two players. In that scenario, players can raise and re-raise each other until one of their stacks dries up. Of course, you can guess why that is…. right. More rake for the casinos. Since all the other players are out of the hand, the only way for the pot to grow bigger is as a result of aggressive betting by the remaining two combatants. These are some simple hold’em poker rules you should understand before going to the casino - understanding them may very well save you some money.

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February 16, 2009

Comments

3 Responses to “Understanding Cap Betting”

  1. Top Casinos Online on March 2nd, 2009 1:38 am

    Now i know what cap or capped betting means. Now i am aware when and how to cap bet. I love playing poker and it is very important for me to know everything and anything about poker odds. I am looking forward to read more blogs from you!

  2. Top15Poker01 on March 3rd, 2009 10:57 am

    The betting is capped when that number of bets has been made. Players may call but may not make further raises until the next betting round.

  3. Top Casinos Online on March 9th, 2009 2:31 am

    In limit poker games, there is usually a maximum number of raises allowed in any round. Often, it’s 4 bets per round of betting. When you hit the maximum, the betting is ‘capped’ and there can be no more raises.

    In some no-limit and pot-limit games, there is a maximum amount any player can bet in one hand, or ‘cap’ on betting. For instance, in a $1-$2 no-limit Hold’em game, there could be a $40 cap on an single hand, meaning that the most any player can bet on any one hand is $40, no matter how much that player has in front of him.

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