Don’t Be a Calling Station
December 21st, 2009
In poker online, weak passive players who continually call and rarely raise or fold are known as “calling stations.” Poker sharks love these types of players since it’s easy to milk them for all their chips. They are the suckers at the table, and every smart poker player knows that if you can’t identify the sucker at the table within twenty minutes after sitting down, then the sucker is you.
How do you know if you are calling too much? Consider showdown outcomes and the cards you get to see. You believe you are being bluffed, so you call and call, then get beat by a good hand. If this happens repeatedly, you are acting the part of a calling station. You do not have to play sheriff and keep other poker online players “honest” by calling their bets. Fold, let someone else make the call.
Sometimes you can’t let go of a made hand, like top pair or two pair, even though there is an obvious flush possibility on board. If you can’t recognize that your hand is beat and you always call even in the face of blatant evidence against you, then you are falling into the calling station trap.
There is no dishonor in folding your hand even after your have contributed several bets to the pot. Every bet saved amounts to chips you keep. When the river misses your hand, fold to any bet.
Entry Filed under: Fun Infos, Gambling Capers, Gaming Parlor