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When I play with friends live poker we always ask ourself what are the min-raise and min-reraise rules in Holdem No Limit?

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  • In no-limit holdem can we simplify this by stating whether it is pre-flop or post flop you must double the big blind to raise and double any subsequent raise excluding "all in" bets?
    – Paul
    Apr 20, 2018 at 13:58

7 Answers 7

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First off, make sure not to call a "bet" a "raise". If you can check, that is you aren't facing an amount you have to call, then when you put in chips it is called a bet. If you have to put in some amount of chips to continue with the hand, and you want to increase the pot, it's called a raise. If it is confusing, just remember this old poker adage: "You can't raise yourself."

In No-Limit Hold'em, the minimum bet is usually the big blind. The minimum raise is going to be the amount of the previous bet or raise called. For example, in a 1/2 NL game, the minimum you can raise before the flop is going to be to make $4... you are calling the $2 blind and then raising $2. If you make it four, the next player to act can raise to a minimum of $6... remember you are only raising $2.

This can get tricky when a player is all-in. Keep in mind that a player can always push his whole stack into the middle in NL, even if his stack is less than what a min-bet or min-raise would be. The question that arises often is whether a shortstack shove reopens the action to an original bettor.

For example, let's say you are playing NL Hold'em with blinds at $1-$2. You are first to act after the flop and you bet $5. A shortstacked player then shoves all-in for $7. Two other players call behind him. Now it's back up to you and you want to reraise. This scenario leads to arguments all of the time and I've seen lots of floor staff get it wrong.

Rules are going to be different from place to place, but under the TDA rules, it does not open up the action again to you unless the shortstacked player's raise is at least a full raise. So in the example I gave, the shortstacked player would have to have made it at least $10 for you to be able to reraise when it got back to you.

Here is Rule 41 of the TDA :

41: Raises A: A raise must be at least the size of the largest previous bet or raise of the current betting round. If a player raises 50% or more of the previous bet but less than the minimum raise, he must make a full raise. The raise will be exactly the minimum raise allowed.

B: In no-limit and pot limit, an all-in wager of less than a full raise does not reopen the betting to a player who has already acted and is not facing at least a full raise when the action returns to him. In limit, at least 50% of a full raise is required to re-open betting for players who have already acted. See Illustration Addendum.

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  • 1
    Great answer. I had no idea about the limit rule
    – Daniel
    Mar 11, 2014 at 8:44
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    Be careful with the phrase "calling the $2 blind and then raising $2". It may allow beginners to think, it's ok to say "I call you and raise $x." which is not allowed and is just considered calling. Generally: You can either say "I call" or "I raise", but not "I call and raise".
    – RoToRa
    Mar 11, 2014 at 13:33
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    Ha... what RoToRa says is true. If you say "I call X... and raise Y" it's usually going to count as a string-bet and you'll be bound to just call under TDA rules. So don't announce a raise that way... in fact, it's generally best not to "verbally announce" bets or raises at all. Keep it quiet and avoid verbal inflection tells. Let your chips do the talking.
    – Dutch.Boyd
    Mar 15, 2014 at 9:21
  • You misread Rule 41. A bet of 750 does not reopen the betting in your example because your example takes place in a NL game. Rule 41B specifies "In limit, at least 50% of a full raise is required to re-open betting".
    – Corey
    Jul 21, 2016 at 15:26
  • Suppose bb is 2 chips and you are at the OTG position. What does raising 3bb pre-flop mean? Does it mean that you put 6 chips into the pot, or does it mean that you put 2+3bb=8 chips into the pot? Jun 10, 2021 at 14:04
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@Dutch.Boyd's answer contradicts the very TDA he posted with it.

B: In no-limit and pot limit, an all-in wager of less than a full raise does not reopen the betting to a player who has already acted.

Therefor, in a NL game, if you bet 500 and the action comes back to you, you may only re-raise if another player has made a full raise behind you.

A full raise is defined below:

A raise must be at least equal to the largest prior bet or raise of the current betting round

In the example above, the shortstacked player raised to 750, which is not a full-raise, so you may only call or fold.

This is different for Fixed-Limit poker.

In limit, at least 50% of a full raise is required to re-open betting for players who have already acted.

However, this is irrelevent since op specified Hold'em No Limit in his question.


I think @Dutch.Boyd was confused because of the top part of rule 41:

41: Raises A: A raise must be at least the size of the largest previous bet or raise of the current betting round. If a player raises 50% or more of the previous bet but less than the minimum raise, he must make a full raise. The raise will be exactly the minimum raise allowed.

This is not talking about all-in rules.

Based on the same example above, it means that if you bet 500 and the next person throws in 700 without announcing "raise", it is actually considered a call instead, because he didn't put in at least 50% of the minimum raise. He must remove the extra 200 chips and cannot make it a raise.

But if he had thrown in 750, it would considered a raise because it's at least 50%. But, he must put in the full raise amount, so it becomes 1000 instead.


Here's a little summary of everything.

100/200 NL, 3 players who we'll call B, SB, and BB.

  • B is first to act and raises 300 on top of the big blind for 500 total. The minimum raise is now 300 on top, or 800 total.

  • Without announcing a raise, SB throws in a 500 chip, putting 600 in front of him. Since the raise amount was less than half of the minimum, the dealer announces that this is a call of 500, and returns 100 back to SB.

  • BB does the exact same thing as SB did, and throws in a 500 chip without announcing raise, putting 700 in front of him. This time the raise amount is more than half of the minimum, so the dealer announces that this is a raise, but the player must make a full raise of 800 total.

  • Unfortunately BB didn't have enough to complete the full raise. He only had 50 chips left so he is now all in for 750. Since no players completed a full raise over B's initial raise, neither B nor SB are allowed to reraise here. Their only options are to call the 750, or fold.

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  • Is the difference not 300 (200 BB, first to act raises to 500), thus minraise is to a total of 800?
    – Toby Booth
    Jul 27, 2016 at 0:04
  • @Toby Booth My answer is referring to a $500 opening bet after the flop. Dutch.Boyd also mentioned after the flop. What you say is correct for a preflop raise however.
    – Karmacon
    Jul 27, 2016 at 0:50
  • So the 1000 mentioned at the end of your post should say 800? Not nitpicking. Just trying to be certain I understand ;)
    – Toby Booth
    Jul 27, 2016 at 1:30
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    @Toby Booth No, it is 1000. This is after the flop, where a player opens the betting for 500. A full raise requires an additional 500 on top, so 1000 total. The preflop situation is different. If the blinds are 100/200 and a player raises to 500, then the raise amount was 300, so the next min raise is to 800.
    – Karmacon
    Jul 27, 2016 at 2:16
  • Ah, I see it. I overlooked the "after the flop" distinction. Got it, thanks.
    – Toby Booth
    Jul 27, 2016 at 2:20
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Limit games are very tricky with this. If in a 3/6 Hold'em game, player A bets $3, and player B goes all-in with $4, then player C has the option to call the all-in, complete the raise to $6, or fold. If player C completes the raise to $6 then player A may call the $6, fold, or reraise to $9.

Now, on the flip side, if player A bets $3, and player B goes all-in with $5, then player C has the options of folding, calling the $5 all-in, completing the raise to $6, or realising for a total of $8 ($3 more than the all-in). Furthermore, If player C only calls the $5, player A still has the option to reraise to $8 or complete the raise to $6, forcing player C to put in more money to continue with the hand.

Thus details the "1/2 or more rule"

For no-limit games, in either of these scenarios, player C may only call the all-in or fold. Because the all-in was not a full raise, reraises are out of the question.

Disclaimer: This is the way that it is done at the casino where I work, where you play may have different rules.

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From a previous comment:

"BB does the exact same thing as SB did, and throws in a 500 chip without announcing raise, putting 700 in front of him. This time the raise amount is more than half of the minimum, so the dealer announces that this is a raise, but the player must make a full raise of 800 total"

pretty much every casino/card room I play in would actually define this as a call, not a raise; under the "single Chip" ruling. If you toss in a single chip, no matter the size, without announcing a raise.. you have only called.

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This can vary. In a lot of European card rooms the minimum raise is the size of last bet, not the size of the last raise. So let's say in a 1/2 game you raise to 6, then someone else reraises to 12. In many European rooms the minimum bet for you to raise now is 24, while in most US rooms it would be 18.

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  • I can not approve this for Germany. There it is always the last bet/raise size that matters... like in your example in the U.S.
    – Jurik
    Dec 15, 2015 at 8:58
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Min-Raise (preflop), Bet (flop, turn, river)
You've to min-raise/bet always at least the size of bigblind.

Example:

Bigblind is $100
You've to raise $100 to an amount of $200.

Re-Raise
You've to re-raise at least as much as the last raise was big.

Example:

BigBlind is $100.
Player A raises +300$ to an amount of 400$.
Player B has to raise at least +300$ to an amount of $700.
But Player B can also raise $350 to an amount of $750.
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  • "You've to min-raise always at least the size of bigblind." Is not right. What you are describing under "Re-raise" is the "min-raise" rule. Rule wise there is no such thing as "re-raise". A raise is a raise no matter if you are the first player to raise, or the second, or any time after that.
    – RoToRa
    Mar 11, 2014 at 13:37
  • Okay, I improved my answer so that everyone can understand it. There's a difference - especially when you look at it as a newbie - between a raise and re-raise and a bet.
    – Jurik
    Mar 11, 2014 at 16:34
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Soooo, this has become similar to the "Catch" rule in the NFL? We all know a catch when we see it, but the rules are often open to interpretation. A "Raise" is indeed a "Raise" regardless of raise amount or position of the initial raiser, however, "Re-Raise" has become common-place as a slang of sorts. I believe though, that the only real clarification here should be the "All-in/Re-open". With money hanging in the balance of a floor decision, a rule book should be referred to if necessary. The fact that casinos/card rooms enforce/adhere to the rule as written, while others do not, only adds to the confusion. Limit, Pot Limit, and NL have differing rules. They should all be adhered to as written IMO.

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  • You may have missed the top two answers that explain this perfectly, with references to the rule books. I'm not sure what you're trying to say, but venting an opinion isn't really a helpful answer on a Q&A site.
    – Abel
    Nov 11, 2023 at 23:35

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