[Brettski]

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In most cardrooms, the half-bet rule applies only to limit poker, not no-limit poker. While some cardrooms may use the half-bet rule for no-limit, most do not.

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Following on from my previous post, the 50% rule (half-bet rule) is commonly confused with what we call the 100% rule. The 100% rule applies to situations in no limit games (or pot ration games like pot limit and half-pot) where a player goes all-in for an underraise. The rule is as follows:

In the case that a player is all-in for an amount that is less than 100% of the previous bet or raise, a player subsequent player can not act in respect to only that amount.

Sounds a little confusing? That's 'coz it is at first. I'll step through a couple of examples, but remember two fundamental things about raising in no limit:
[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] Before you can raise, you must first call!
[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] An underraise amount is not a legal bet or raise!

Here goes.

* The game is 1/2 No Limit Holdem. On the flop, Player A bets $10. Player B then goes all-in for $17. Player C now wants to raise the minimum. What is total bet?
[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] Well, the first thing Player C must do is call. After all, before he can raise, he must first call. So he calls $10.
[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] Now, the only thing up for debate is how much he can raise. Since the last legal bet or raise was $10, he can raise by an additional $10 minimum. So his total bet will be $27.

Now let's make it more tricky.

* The game is 1/2 No Limit Holdem. On the flop, Player A bets $10. Player B calls. Player C then goes all-in for $17. The action is folded back around to Player A. Player A now wants to raise the minimum. What is total bet?
[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] Well, the first thing Player A must do is call. So he calls for a total of $17.
[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] Now, the only thing up for debate is how much he can raise. We know that the extra $7 was an underraise ('coz it's less than 100% of the previous bet or raise), so it doesn't count; it's almost like it doesn't exist! Since the last legal bet or raise was $10 - and was made by Player A - he'd be raising himself, wouldn't he? And we can't do that in poker. Short version: Player A cannot raise.

To get back to the original point, these are our rules on the "full-bet rule." They only apply to situations in pot ratio games where a player is all-in for an underraise. I think you'll find this rule is pretty common. However if there are other rules and interpretations out there in other casinos and clubs, it doesn't make them more or less valid. It just makes them different.