Fold Poker
The fast-fold poker concept was first introduced by Full Tilt and its Rush format. They offered an exciting new option for the game – you can just fold your hand as soon as it is dealt, and move to another one. The non-stop action creates lots of excitement and opportunities to play short, but intense sessions. Padded Texas Hold'em Folding Poker Table Top w/ Cup Holders - Red Suited Speed Felt. $299.95 $ 119.95. Texas Hold'em Folding Table Top w/ Cup Holders - Blue. Fast Fold poker is something that could never work in live poker but it’s one of the most popular ways to play online. Because there's no waiting for multi-tablers timing out, or tanking players to make up their minds. Basically if you hate downtime in online poker, then Fast Fold is for you. Folding Poker Table Top Selection Methodology.All of the products recommended above were selected based on their PolyRated scores out of 1000. These scores were calculated by analyzing reports and reviews by owners and users, assigning a score to each source and then processing those scores algorithmically to produce an overall score that. Folding is the least sexy topic in poker. Folding is just sofinal. Your cards hit the muck, you concede the pot to your opponent, and you’re off to the next hand. But the honest truth is that poker players fall into two main categories.
Granted, folding might not be the most spectacular play in a poker player's toolbox, but it sure is a very important aspect of poker. If you recognize the situations in which folding would be the most correct play, then you can save yourself a tremendous amount of money in the long run (or even every session). Especially in no-limit hold'em games not folding when holding a second best hand can be very expensive. It is therefore useful to take a closer look at folding and find out when to fold in poker (if you are looking for more information about which hands to fold pre-flop I would like to recommend you to also read the Texas hold'em starting hand selection guide).
When to fold in poker?
There are a number of situations in which folding would be correct:
You are certain that you hold the worst hand and are also facing a bet.
You don't have enough chance of improving to the best hand compared to the pot odds you get.
You're unsure whether you're ahead or behind, but you'd have to call a big bet now or maybe later in the hand to find out.
You are getting odds to call but you aren't closing the action and it is very likely that someone behind you will make it too expensive to continue.
Situations in which folding would be incorrect
Just like there are situations in which folding would be the best play there are also situations in which folding wouldn't be so okay:
You can check instead :-).
You know you have the best hand (obviously).
You know you probably have the worst hand but you are getting the correct odds to call with your draw anyway.
You know you are behind, but you are also pretty sure that a bluff will win you the pot.
Also: don't think about folding pocket kings pre-flop at the lower stakes unless your opponent goes all-in and shows you pocket aces.
Key aspects to consider for recognizing a fold
As you can see from the examples of folding and non-folding situations above there are some aspects besides your cards that are very important to consider in order to recognize a fold. These are:
- Your odds
- The action behind you or later in the hand
There's also the option of bluffing instead of folding when you know you're beat, but that goes beyond the scope of this article. At the lower stakes folding is often the better play anyway as there are too many loose calling stations anxiously waiting to call down your bluff.
Folding because of bad odds
If you are on a draw you should only call bets when you get the right pot odds and/or implied odds, as explained in more detail in the pot odds guide. As is mentioned in this guide it is very important to not overestimate your number of outs when deciding to draw or not (i.e., don't draw to gutshot straights on a two card flush and paired flop).
Folding when you don't get the right odds to call doesn't necessarily apply only to when you are drawing though. Because you can't put your opponent on just one hand, you often also can't say you are always ahead or always behind in a certain situation. If you put your opponent on a range of most likely holdings then you will often find that you are ahead of a part of that range and behind of the other possible holdings: you can make an estimation of how likely you are to be ahead and by comparing this chance with your pot odds you can either justify a call or make a good fold.
Example:
| Hole cards | Board |
Say you called a raise from middle position pre-flop and called both a flop and a turn bet (seems very reasonable with top pair and second pair with an added flush- and gutshot straightdraw on the turn). Now your opponent bets again on the river: a pot sized bet giving you pot odds of 33% or 2:1. Say you think this opponent might have you beat with a pair of kings or aces, a hand like AQ, KQ or QJ and that you know he also likes to bluff three streets ('triple barreling') with hands like AJ, AK and sometimes a lower pair like 33.
Now, if you count all the possible combinations of these hands and calculate the fraction of hands you win from with your pair of tens, then you'll find that you have a chance of about 44% to win the pot based on the hand range mentioned. This means you should call. (You could also use PokerStove for this sort of 'equity calculation' instead. Oh, and now we're between brackets anyway, don't try to do these calculations while playing. Just practice them away from the table to get a rough idea or feel for your odds when playing.)
If, on the other hand, you don't think your opponent could have lower pocket pairs and AJ in his hand then you only have a 30% chance of winning. This means you should fold, because you aren't getting the right pot odds.
At the lower stakes you will encounter a lot of passive players who would not be attempting to bluff this river. In that case it would be a clear fold too.Note that you can only very rarely put your opponent on an exact hand. Therefore folding very strong hands like bottom set (three-of-a-kind) on the flop or pocket kings pre-flop will almost never be correct, certainly not at the lower stakes. In order for this to be correct you have to put your opponent on exactly a higher set or, in the other example, pocket aces. In reality the range of possible hands your opponent could hold will almost always be wider and that would give you the right odds to just go ahead and 'ship it' with such strong holdings.
Folding because of the expected action
This one is also important for pre-flop starting hand selection. The reason that you should be very reluctant to play all kinds of drawing hands (with which you would like to see a cheap flop) from early position is that there are still quite a number of players to act behind you who can make it more expensive than you would like to by raising.
This principle also applies after the flop. Sometimes you will find yourself in a situation where you have a relatively weak made hand and are facing a bet with one or more opponents left to act behind you. Even if you think that you are ahead of the player who bet out, you have to consider the fact that you might still be behind to one of the other players. This would be a sound reason to just fold your marginal hand.
Besides the possible action the players left to act behind you might give, you also have to consider the possibility that a player will keep betting on future streets. If you check/call the flop with a medium strength hand and check the turn again then do you really want to call another bet? If not, then maybe it wouldn't have been a bad idea to fold on the flop in the first place.
Notice how your position plays a very important role in deciding whether to fold or not. If you are out of position then you have less control over how the hand plays out after you have made your decision, which should favor a fold in very marginal situations.
Folding in poker - conclusion
Hopefully this folding guide has helped you to better recognize folding situations or maybe even calling situations where you would have otherwise folded. Whether you actually fold your hand when you recognize that doing so would be the best action or whether you just keep calling and pushing with it instead might be dependent on the amount of bad beats you already had to suffer at that point. That's where discipline becomes an important factor too.
Remember that in micro stakes online poker games it isn't very difficult to pick the spots where you have a big edge to build big pots. That is where your value, your profit comes from. If you find yourself in a situation with a marginal hand and the pot is getting bigger than your hand warrants, then just fold. Don't become a calling station with your draws; don't find yourself calling your stack away with a weak middle pair; just fold. After all, a dollar saved is still a dollar earned. And those dollars can and will really add up when playing thousands of hands every month!
Further reading at First Time Poker Player:
Further reading across the internet:
- OnlinePoker.net - Knowing when to fold your poker hand
As I write this, WSOP 2018 is in full swing, so I thought this would be a good time to update my recommendations on folding poker table tops for home games.
These new recommendations aren't based simply on my personal opinion, instead they're based on analysis of more than 1,300 opinions from people who have bought or used them - you can read more about that in the Methodology section at the end of this guide.
As an experienced casino and live tournament player myself, I've also provided some advice for those of you who don't have much experience with poker tables.
Contents
- The Best Folding Poker Table Tops
Poker Table Top Buying Advice
Having a proper felt table is much better than playing your home games on a regular kitchen table top. Not only do they add a touch of class to the game but cards also slide more predictably across the surface resulting in fewer misdeals.
Size: For octagonal tops the main consideration is how much space it takes up when bagged and stored. Many people use their poker tops on tables which are larger with many people using 48' tops on 60' (5 feet) round tables. They can also be used on square tables. I personally prefer a top that's slightly larger than the table it's sitting on, however you have to be careful not to knock the top and topple everyone's chips when sitting down. Octagonal tops are usually measured from point to point, not side to side. For oval tables the main consideration, other than folded size, is that length is similar to the table it's going on so people at the ends don't have to reach too far, but it doesn't have to be an exact fit.
Playing Surface: All the tops recommended below have a felt playing surface, however some of them are decorated and some aren't. One issue that often arises with cheaper tops that are decorated is that the markings are printed on with inks or dyes that are sometimes sticky. This isn't always an issue for home players, but anyone experienced at dealing on a professional table will get frustrated with the way cards can stick to the paint when sliding across the surface.
Portability: Although most folding tops come with carry bags, the quality of the bags tends to vary a lot. If you're planning on carrying the top around with you, pay special attention to the review analyses below.
Folds: The more folds a top has, the smaller it generally is when stowed away, however the folds can crease over time leading to cards getting caught sometimes leading to misdeals. To minimize the risk of this happening, get one with the least number of folds for its type if folded size isn't a concern for you.
Extras: Some tops come with extras such as cards and chips. Generally these tend to be lower quality cards than I prefer - see my card recommendation below for a better option. Also bundled chips tend to be lower quality plastic ones that are okay for some, but not for players used to the weight and feel of standard clay based chips, after all a good set of chips can cost more than many table tops.
| I've organized this table to show the highest rated small, medium, and large size poker table tops in each of the two categories - click on model names for detailed meta reviews further down the page. | ||||
| Model | Size | PolyRated* | Sources | Median Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Octagon Poker Table Tops | ||||
| MD Sports ARC046_027M | Small: 46' x 46' | 832 | 15+ | $51 |
| HomCom B8-0001 | Medium: 48' x 48' | 880 | 125+ | $55 |
| Trademark Poker 10-11652 | Large: 51' x 51' | 842 | 150+ | $95 |
Oval Poker Table Tops | ||||
| IDS Home 4-Fold 63' | Small: 63' x 35' | 920 | 10+ | $53 |
| Gaintex TY557993 | Medium: 71' x 35' | 900 | 30+ | $48 |
| JP Commerce TX3 | Large: 82' x 40' | 826 | 15+ | $120 |
Octagon Poker Table Top Meta Reviews
MD Sports ARC046_027M
PolyRated / Sources: 832 / 15+
Median Price / Sources: $51 / 3
Brand: MD Sports
Folded Size: 23.325' W x 23.325' L x 2.5' H
Included Extras: Cards & Chips
Total Weight: 23.1 lb
At only 46' across, this is one of the smallest options currently available. It folds 2 ways making it much smaller than most other options when folded.
It comes with a carry bag and a basic deck of cards. It only includes a 100 piece chip set which is not really enough for 8 players, so if you don't have chips already you'll need to buy some more.
It's made from particle board (MDF) with plastic cup and chip holders.
Review Analysis
Positive
Negative
HomCom B8-0001
PolyRated / Sources: 880 / 125+
Median Price / Sources: $55 / 4
Brand: HomCom
Folded Size: 23.75' W x 47.25' L x 1.25' H
Included Extras: None
Total Weight: 22 lb
The HomCom B8-0001 has the highest ratings out of all the octagonal table tops on the market which seems to be due to its value for money in the 48' segment.
It has the most common size for an octagonal poker table top at 48' across. As you can see from the picture on the right, it uses a single fold - this does make it larger when folded than some options, but it also means there is one less join leading to fewer issues over time as it's packed away and taken out time and again for use.
The manufacturer says it's made from solid wood, however 1 reviewer said it's more likely plywood. In addition to the green felt on top, the back is covered with black felt so there's no risk of it scratching your table. The removable chip/cup holders are molded plastic. The carry bag is made from nylon.
Review Analysis
Positive
Negative
Trademark Poker 10-11652
PolyRated / Sources: 842 / 150+
Median Price / Sources: $95 / 7
Brand: Trademark Poker
Folded Size: 52' W x 26' L x 3.5' H
Included Extras: None
Total Weight: 30 lb
I mainly play on oval tables, however if I needed to get an octagonal table then after examining so many reviews, this is the one I would get.
The raised padding around the edge means you don't have to worry about cards or chips falling off the edge when sliding across the table, and from personal experience they're much more comfortable when resting your arms on them.
At the time of publication, I'm still waiting on Trademark Poker to confirm what type of wood it's made from, but I can tell you that the padded sides and the bottom surface are made from vinyl. The carry bag is made from nylon.
Review Analysis
Positive
Negative
Oval Poker Table Top Meta Reviews
IDS Home 4-Fold 63'
PolyRated / Sources: 920 / 10+
Median Price / Sources: $53 / 3
Brand: IDS Home
Open Size: 63' L x 35' W
Folded Size: 32.3' L x 16.5' W x 3.2' H
Included Extras: None
Total Weight: 21 lb
This top has good ratings but it's usually only bought by people with a small table to put it on - most people opt for one of the larger sizes below.
The manufacture hasn't yet provided me with detailed specifications, but based on user reports it's made with solid feeling wood.
It also comes with a carry bag as you see in the picture.
Review Analysis
Positive
Negative
Giantex TY557993
PolyRated / Sources: 900 / 30+
Median Price / Sources: $48 / 3
Brand: Giantex
Open Size: 71' L x 35' W
Folded Size: 18' L x 36' W x 1' H
Included Extras: None
Total Weight: 29 lb although some owners report that it's actually a few pounds heavier than that.
This top is made from MDF wood with a felt top and PVC carry bag using its 4 segmented folding design.
Review Analysis
Positive
Negative
JP Commerce TX3
PolyRated / Sources: 826 / 15+
Median Price / Sources: $120 / 5
Brand: JP Commerce
Open Size: 82' L x 40' W
Folded Size: 40' L x 37' W
Included Extras: None
Total Weight: 51 lb
NB: This top does not come with a carry bag.
Despite this top having lower ratings than the 2 smaller options above (possibly due to its higher price tag), this is the option I would choose for myself after having personally read all the reviews for all the options recommended in this guide.
It's built from solid wood and is nice and heavy (51 lb) to ensure it sits firmly on your table. I personally prefer a more weighty table for this reason, after all you spend more time playing on it than you do carrying it around. It also has padded sides which is a big plus for me.
Due to its 3-fold design, it takes up more space when folded than other options, however this also leads to a smoother playing surface with fewer creases.
Review Analysis
Positive
Negative
Card Recommendation
If you're still using basic playing cards then you should get a set of Copag cards. These are the only ones I ever recommend - in my opinion they are superior to all other sets of cards because they don't easily mark or get creased. Not only do they last for years, it's very difficult for a cheat to bend or crease the corners to mark them during play. The first set I bought lasted for over 10 years!
Folding Poker Table Top Selection Methodology
*All of the products recommended above were selected based on their PolyRated scores out of 1000.
These scores were calculated by analyzing reports and reviews by owners and users, assigning a score to each source and then processing those scores algorithmically to produce an overall score that reflects market sentiment about the product.
Poker Fold Equity
The analysis included over 1,300 review sources of 18 models from 9 brands: Brybelly, Da Vinci, Giantex, GLD Products, HomCom, IDS Home, JP Commerce, MD Sports and Trademark Poker.
Fold Poker Table
The models with the highest rating in each category for each of the 3 sizes were then selected to be recommended above.