Article updated on March 18, 2025
This article will discuss the rules for raising and re-raising in poker.
Before diving into the detailed explanation of this poker term, see if you can answer the following questions:
- How do we calculate the minimum legal raise in poker for No-Limit games?
- How do we calculate a pot-sized raise for pot-limit games?
- In which circumstances is re-raising illegal?
- What is the “cap” in a limit game?
- What is cap poker?
What is the Minimum Raise in Poker?
In No-Limit poker games, there is a minimum raise size requirement. The minimum raise size is the size of the previous raise, not necessarily twice the previous bet.
For example, after a 3bb open-raise from the button in No-limit Hold’em, the minimum re-raise size is 5bb, not 6bb.
Why? The 3bb open raise is actually a raise of 2bb over the previous bet sizing (the 1bb BB post). The original opener can legally re-raise to a total of 7bb after facing the 5bb raise.
On the flop, if the first bet is 8bb, then a raise would have to be at least 16bb since the initial bet was a raise of 8bb (compared to the starting bet of 0bb on the flop).
A re-raise (3bet) on the flop would then have a minimum legal size of 24bb (another 8bb on top).
Calculating Pot-Sized Raises
Calculating a pot-sized raise is often performed incorrectly. Online poker players are notoriously weak at this since the software calculates pot-sized raises automatically.
Live players, including some of the best poker players of all time, are typically more familiar with the maths behind calculating pot-sized raises since it's not only about clicking a button.
Example – There is $10 in the middle on the flop in a Texas Hold’em game.
- Villain bets $5 into the pot. How do we calculate a pot-sized raise?
At first glance, we might assume that because there is $15 in the middle, a pot-sized raise would total $20, but this is incorrect.
The trick is to imagine we first call and then see the total pot size after we call. If we called, there would be $20 in the middle, which is the amount we raise to formulate a pot-sized raise.
- We’d raise by $20 for a total bet size of $25.
We can confirm this re-raise amount by considering the pot odds our opponent gets when facing such a raise.
If we have sized our raise correctly, our opponent should get exactly 2:1 (33.333%) poker probability on a call.
Can You Re Raise in Poker? Not Always!
Re-raising is not always legal, even when playing No-Limit when having additional stacks behind. Every poker cheat sheet should include this crucial exception.
This scenario would occur when one of our opponents has raised all-in, but the shove is less than the legal raise size.
Example – There are three players on the flop in a No Limit game:
- Player A ($100)
- Player B ($100)
- Player C ($18)
- Player D ($100)
Player A bets $10. Player B calls. Player C shoves all-in for $18.
In this situation, what is the minimum raise in poker? It's $10 for a total bet size of $20.
- Player C gets an exception to this rule since he only has $18 left in his stack.
- However, since player C’s raise is less than the legal minimum raise size, players A and B only have the option to call or fold against player C’s re-raise poker move.
This rule is partly because they have already acted during the hand and elected to call. If there was a fourth player behind who had not yet acted, they could re-raise (minimum total raise size of $30).
Of course, there are other reasons why re-raising might be illegal. If we are heads-up and our opponent is all-in, we no longer have the option to re-raise due to the table stakes rule.
We could also be in a game with a fixed-limit betting structure and have reached the cap.
The "Cap" in Limit Games
In most limit games, the number of bets and raises on a given street is capped at four (i.e., one bet and three raises for each street).
Example on the flop:
- Player A bets $2.
- Player B raises to $4.
- Player A re-raises to $6.
- Player B re-raises to $8.
After the fourth bet, Player A now only has the option to call or fold since the cap has been reached. This betting cap in limit games should not be confused with 'cap poker', a completely different concept that applies primarily to no-limit and pot-limit games.
Cap Poker Explained
"Cap poker" is a cash game format in which arbitrary effective stacks exist. For example, in a 40bb-cap game, players can invest a maximum of 40bb in any given poker hand.
Players are free to sit as deep as they like, but the extra stacks do not affect the poker chip values of the effective stacks, which will remain at 40bb. Once the 40bb cap is reached, players are considered "all-in," meaning that any additional raises are illegal.
Best Re-Raise Poker Strategy
Good players never ask, "Can you re raise in poker?" They're aware of all legal options at all times, even in scenarios where the rules are a little less obvious.
For example, when facing a jam from a shortstack on the flop, our GTO poker decision to call will often depend on whether the players behind us can legally raise or just call. (We don’t want to call a raise and still get blown off our hand by players behind).
This factor may be apparent in an online game, but being aware of legal raises in a live game will require us to run some basic mental arithmetic.
In pot-limit games such as PLO, players should learn how to calculate a pot-sized raise for the following two main reasons:
- It’s unethical and annoying to ask the dealer every hand.
- Asking the dealer might give away tells.
Contrary to some strategies, betting/raising pot size is not always the most profitable option just because we are playing pot-limit.
When planning our re-raise poker strategy, consider the range of raise sizings between min-raise and pot-size.
Re-Raise Poker Rules Summary
Fixed Limit –
Re-raises occur in increments of the small or big bet.
Pot Limit –
Re-raises must be the size of the pot at most.
No Limit –
Re-raises can be any size but are limited by the effective stacks.
- In no-limit games, the minimum raise size is the size of the previous raise, not necessarily twice the previous bet.
- Re-raises less than the minimum legal raise size can occur when a player is all-in.
- Raises less than the minimum legal raise size do not reopen the action in most instances.
- Fixed limit games employ a betting cap, limiting the total number of re-raises per street.
Originally published on June 1, 2019
See Also
Bet, Call, Raise, Check, Check-raise, Fold, Cold-call, Three-bet, Four-bet, Five-bet, Action, Table Stakes, Cap
