A player may fold a hand by discarding their cards face down into the pot. When they do so, they forfeit any interest in the current pot. The other players may continue betting, but they cannot win the hand. This is a common poker strategy used by players with weak hands. In some games, the player who folds must expose their hand to the table, but in most others this is not required. The fold can be indicated verbally or by a gesture, such as tapping the table with a fist or knuckles.
A raise is a bet of more than the previous amount. Modern poker rules generally require that raises be at least equal to the last raised amount. However, there are some exceptions to this rule, such as a raise in an all-in situation.
When a player has no more money to bet and decides to make a raise, they must do so by raising the total of their remaining stake. This is known as going all-in. Alternatively, the player may call a bet for their remaining stake and then re-raise for another equal amount.
If a player calls more than the amount of a bet, they are said to be calling excessively. This type of call is usually considered an illegal move in tournament play. In cash games, the term is also sometimes used to refer to a player who calls a bet for less than their full stack.
The practice of buying in for an additional amount while the dealer is handling a hand is known as buying in on the button. This is not allowed in all casinos, but some do allow it to alleviate the time it takes for an attendant to return to the table with a new tray of chips.
Some players carry extra chips in their pockets to cover any buy-in amounts that they lose during a hand. This is called smooth calling or flat calling, and is a form of slow play.
It is generally considered bad form to call or raise out of turn, as this gives the player in turn information that they would not otherwise have, and deprives other players of the opportunity to act upon it. Generally, a player who raises out of turn must pay the amount of the blind that is due (in addition to any ante they have already paid).
In fixed-limit games, a kill hand is triggered when a player wins the pot over a certain predetermined amount, or when a player has won a number of hands in a row. The player who wins the kill hand must then pay a kill blind, which is either 1.5 times (a half kill) or double (a full kill) the amount of the big blind.
A player must never reveal their concealed cards unless they are all in, or when they are mucking their hand. A player who exposes their cards before this point is said to be showing.