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Comment by CPLX | Hacker News Reader

That's arguable. A reasonable case could be made for the idea that a call is a required prerequisite for a raise.

True - but in a professional setting if you say "I'll call..." then that's it you're calling. You can't tag "..and raise you..." on the end - they would not accept the raise.

I've been in otherwise pretty friendly games where string bets were disallowed. Or at best, the first time it happened (generally by a new player), it was accepted but the table agreed not to allow anymore for anyone.

I've often said:

"I see your [bet] and raise you [x]" - would that be accepted?

It can depend on where you are playing, but you run the risk of getting called for a string bet. The way you worded it definitely makes it sound that way because of the "and" combining two actions. If it is a friendly game you are unlikely to face issue, but in a contentious game with unknown enemies, this quote would get you called for a string bet in some of the casinos I've played.

Even most friendly games I play, where the rules are VERY relaxed, do not allow "I see your X and raise you Y" string bets. This pattern is pretty firmly a relic of the past (if it ever existed outside of Hollywood).

I suppose it depends on the house, and floor, but I think it might be fine as you're not explicitly saying "call". I always just say "raise" and put in the chips (all at once!), or say "I raise to XXX" with XXX being the total amount (call+raise), after which I can take my time counting out the chips (or put more than the total raise amount if I don't have exact change).

Saying call and then adding a raise is similar to string betting, where you first put some chips to gauge your opponents reaction, and then put in some more. That's not allowed but so many beginners do it.

No that's a string bet. It's generally explicitly not allowed so you can't fish for info after saying "I see your bet....."

Some places may let you do it once, but by rule its not allowed in Casinos.

Everywhere I've played would call that as a string bet

Naw, any place reasonably serious will have a string betting rule and similar. The reason is that you could start out with "and I call your 500" then pause slightly to see if your opponent starts moving/reacting in some way that signals their likely response before deciding whether to follow up with your raise. Likewise most places have a rule that you have to count out your bet then push it all out at once, or declare the full amount clearly verbally. Even the piddling little $100 buy in tourneys I played in during the poker craze 15 years ago had these rules.

Dealers tend to just shut down anyone that plays silly games around delaying or feinting what they're going to maybe do to. I was at Acapulco Joe's one time playing the cheap limit tables with a dealer that was out of patience with this one guy that was acting like he was on national tv for the world series finals. Finally at one point when he was dickering around she just looked at him, said "he calls" took his chips and moved on lol.

Only on TV. People in casinos can be sticklers when you verbally announce one action and then tack on another. Imagine saying something like, "I call" look for a reaction and if that person looks dejected quickly follow Up with, "and raise you $x". It is sometimes referred to as "Angle shooting"

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