You can check when you owe nothing to match the current wager. Calling adds the chips you owe; raising increases the wager others must match. Folding gives up your claim to the pot. These actions describe what you do, not whether the decision is profitable.
Can I check? Calculate the amount to call
Compare this betting round's totals
Use contributions from this betting round only, including any blind you posted before the flop. This helper does not decide minimum raises, whether betting has reopened, side pots or short all-in calls.
Checking, calling, betting and raising compared
| Action | What happens | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Check | Stay in without adding chips when nothing is owed. | No one has bet on the flop; you pass the action. |
| Call | Match the outstanding wager, or call all-in for your remaining stack if shorter. | The total to match is 100 and you already contributed 50: add 50. |
| Bet | Open the wagering on a round with no wager yet. | Everyone checks to you on the turn; you put in 100. |
| Raise | Increase an existing wager, subject to the game's raise rules. | An opponent bets 100; you raise the total to 300. |
| Fold | Give up this hand and its claim to the pot. | You face a wager and choose to stop contesting the hand. |
Can the big blind check before the flop?
Yes, if no one has raised and action returns to the big blind. With blinds of 50/100, a player who calls contributes 100. The big blind already has 100 in, so owes zero and may check. The small blind has only contributed 50 and owes another 50 if the total is still 100. Posting a blind does not automatically complete a call against a raise.
If someone raises the total to 350, the big blind owes 250 more and the small blind owes 300 more, assuming they have enough chips. See the six-handed position chart for who acts next.
Does checking end your hand?
No. Checking keeps you in the hand. If someone later bets, you get another decision when action reaches you. A check-raise means checking, then raising after another player bets. It is different from checking twice or calling. Whether a particular raise is legal still depends on the betting action and house rules.
By contrast, folding ends your participation in the current pot. If checking is available, it normally preserves your options without spending more chips at that moment. It does not guarantee a free card: a later player can still bet.
A raise is a total, not just the extra chips
If you have put in 100 this round and raise to a total of 300, you add 200 now. Saying “raise by 200” and “raise to 200” describes different totals. State the total clearly and follow the venue's procedures. This calculator only finds a call amount; it does not authorise any raise size.
Use the price before making a decision
Knowing what you owe comes before judging whether to call. Put that amount into the pot odds calculator, then consider your equity and any future betting. A legal call can still lose chips on average, and a legal raise can be a poor choice.
Rules reference: PokerStars' Texas Hold'em rules, checked 30 October 2026. Worked chip examples and the calculator are Hold'em Sim's own. Practise with play chips at the training table.
For the size of a full raise, use the minimum raise-to calculator. It calculates amounts without deciding whether the action has reopened.