There are five basic plays in online poker: Bet, raise, call, check, and fold. Of these five plays, calling might be the one people mess up the most. Betting in a poker game is relatively straightforward. So is raising – both of these plays fall into the “be aggressive” plan that’s been proven effective over the years. Checking and folding are also more easily understood, since you’re not adding any more money to the pot. Calling is in between. You’re investing more chips, but you’re doing so in a passive manner, inviting others to take advantage of you. PLAY POKER NOW Generally speaking, beginners who play real money poker call way more often than they should in a game. You’ll also find some players who don’t call nearly enough. It’s always nice to be at the table with these players. But you don’t want to be one of them; if you want to learn how to play poker like a boss, take a moment to read these five reasons why calling can be the right move, and make sure you have one (or more) of these reasons in mind before you do it. 1. To See the Next Card Phil Gordon (author of the Little Green Book, and a former champion on the World Poker Tour) once said that the first thing he thinks about in a hand is whether he can raise. If your hand is strong enough to raise, you probably should. If it’s a good bluff candidate,