Fold
The majority of hands that you will be dealt at the poker table will be good for one and only one move on your part. You will fold. Very tight players will fold 90% or more of the cards dealt to them. Loose-aggressive players will fold more than half of their hands. Don’t be fooled by edited television shows, even “play every hand players” don’t actually play every hand.
To fold means simply to discard your hand and give up any interest in the current pot. Folding may be indicated verbally and/or by discarding one’s hand face down into the pile of discards. In most houses, you must release your cards for your hand to be dead. In the U.S. it is customary to signal folding by turning all of one’s “up” cards face down in games like Stud. It is considered unsportsmanlike to do a “fast fold” if you are first to act in any round because every player has the right to see all exposed cards. In most card rooms in Europe, you slide your cards to the dealer who will be sure other players have had an equal opportunity to see your exposed cards and then the dealer will muck the hand.
It is a serious breach of etiquette to fold out of turn, that is, when it is not your turn to act, because this can provide information to players who should have acted before you. In some games, even folding in turn when a player is entitled to check (because there is no bet facing the player) is considered an out of turn fold since it gives away information to which other players would otherwise not be entitled. Checking out, as it is called, is considered bad form in many card rooms.
When you fold, your down or concealed cards should not be exposed unless no further betting is possible in the hand and the fold gives the pot to the only remaining player. A player is never required to expose his concealed cards when folding unless the hand has been checked down. At this point, local rules apply as to whether you must show your cards or whether you can surrender them face down and give up the pot.
-This is Beginner’s Poker Blog Post #82
