Fold
To discard one's hand and forfeit the current pot, withdrawing from the round.
Detailed Explanation
Folding is the act of discarding your hand face-down and relinquishing any claim to the current pot. Once you fold, you take no further action in the hand and cannot win the pot, regardless of subsequent events. In most forms of poker, you also forfeit any chips already contributed to the pot — including ante, blinds, or previous bets.
Knowing when to fold is one of the most important skills in poker. The fundamental question is whether the pot odds and implied odds justify calling a bet relative to your hand's equity (probability of winning). If calling costs $100 into a $300 pot, you need at least 25% equity to justify the call. With a weak hand and strong opponent action, folding prevents further loss.
In casino banked card games such as Three Card Poker and Caribbean Stud Poker, folding means surrendering the Ante bet and ending the hand immediately. The decision threshold is formulaic: fold below the minimum qualifying hand, raise above it.
Related Entries
Table Game Terms
Ante
A mandatory bet placed before any cards are dealt to initiate a round.
Poker Terms
Rake
The commission deducted by the casino from each poker pot as its service fee for running the game.
Poker Terms
Blind
Mandatory bets posted by the two players to the left of the dealer button before cards are dealt in Texas Hold'em.
Poker Terms
Pot Odds
The ratio of the current pot size to the cost of a call, used to determine whether calling a bet is mathematically justified.