BrianAndPamela.com

"Alright, cowboy.  I'll see your hundred and raise you the deed to the old gold mine in the hills."  GASP! 

It seems like every time you see poker in the movies you hear a line like that.  I think there was even one in the recent re-envisioned "Casino Royale" Bond movie.  The problem is it's a bunch of hooey.  It's called a "string raise" and it's against the rules…

Most casinos and card rooms where poker is played have a pretty well defined rule set.  These govern just about everything from how you can take breaks to the conduct of the players at the tables.  Some of the strictest rules are about betting, for example what you are commited to and when.  This of course prevents a player from claiming they didn't intend to bet as much as they did when they lose, or the opposite. 

One of these rules is against a so called "string raise".  Stringing involves creating ambiguity as to whether a player is calling or raising a bet.  Things prohibited by the string rule:

• Saying "see" or "call" and then attempting to raise
• Placing a call in the pot then attempting to add chips to raise
• Raising with one amount of chips and then returning to the stack to make more of a raise

Any of these problems can be avoided by simply declaring your intention ahead of time, or in the case of a raise which might require it, announcing the amount of the raise before actually placing chips into the pot.

The reverse is also true.  Once a declaration of "raise" has been made a player is commited to that action and may not call. 

Why?  Primarily to remove ambiguity from the table and prevent players from trying to exploit that ambiguity.  Also, it prevents players from calling to see what reaction they get and then deciding to raise or not based on that reaction.

So next time someone says, "I'll see your forty and raise you my wife's wedding dress…"  Tell 'em to keep the dress and play by the rules.