Hero call

Also: hero-call, hero fold

Calling a big bet with a weak hand — a bluff-catcher — because you believe the opponent is bluffing. The opposite, folding a very strong hand because you believe the opponent has the nuts, is a 'hero fold'.

Example. She hero-called a pot-sized river shove with ace-high and was right.

Related terms

Full glossary

Bluff-catcher

A hand that can only win at showdown if the opponent is bluffing — it beats their bluffs but loses to all thei…

Snap call

An instant call (or fold or shove) with no thought at all, either because the decision is trivial or to show c…

Tell

Any unintentional behaviour that reveals information about a player's hand: a glance at chips, a change in bre…

Alpha (bluff break-even)

The percentage of the time a bluff needs to work to break even: bet ÷ (bet + pot). It is the mirror image of m…

Balance

Having a mix of strong hands and bluffs in the same line so that an opponent cannot tell which one you hold an…

Bankroll management

The discipline of only playing stakes your bankroll can survive. Rules of thumb: 20–50 buy-ins for cash games,…

Blind steal

A late-position raise with a weak hand whose main purpose is to win the blinds and antes uncontested. Steals f…

Block bet

A small bet made out of position, often on the river, with a medium-strength hand to set a cheap price and dis…