A reraise in poker is a way to get more money into the pot than your opponent. It is a powerful move to make against tight-aggressive players. This style of player will often call your bets with a weak hand but may try to improve on the flop. You can take advantage of this by raising before the flop. It will force them to put more money into the pot and give you a better chance of winning.
You can raise a pre-flop bet by any amount you like, but there are a few things to keep in mind. The first thing to remember is that if you raise, the other players at the table will be aware of it. In no-limit and pot-limit games, the raise must be at least equal to the previous bet amount. This is called the action only rule and it prevents players from colluding and scaring other players out of a big pot.
When you reraise in poker, you are asking your opponent to increase their bet size and pressure them into folding their hand. This is especially important when playing against players who are known to overplay hands such as pocket jacks or A-K. A reraise is also useful against players who are known to slowplay their strong hands.
Reraises are a great way to define your opponent’s hand in early position when they are the initial bettor. For example, if you are in late position and your opponent calls your pre-flop reraise with a weak hand, this indicates that they have a solid hand and will likely bluff against you in future betting rounds.
If you are reraising with a hand that you are confident in, you should usually bet enough to make sure your opponent can’t fold. However, you don’t want to be too aggressive and reraise for too much. This will get you labeled as a “speeder” and cause other players to not give you credit in many spots where they shouldn’t.
A reraise is often used as a means to steal from short-stacked players who don’t adjust their range as they sit in the blinds. A reraise of about three times the original bet will be enough to steal this kind of pot. If you reraise too much, your opponents will be able to see the value of your hand and will probably call your reraise.
Raise sizes in poker can vary, but you should always be aiming for at least a three-times-the-big-blind raise. If you’re on a limit table, the minimum raise is usually double the big blind. However, this isn’t a hard and fast rule in no-limit and pot-limit games. You should simply understand how to raise effectively in each game.