▁is ▁likely ▁they ▁do ▁not ▁have ▁the ▁best ▁hand ; ▁it ▁is ▁often ▁done ▁in ▁hopes ▁that ▁( an ) ▁oppon ent ( s ) ▁will ▁fol d ▁medi oc re ▁yet ▁stronger ▁hands . ▁When ▁a ▁player ▁bet s ▁or ▁ra ises ▁with ▁a ▁weak ▁hand ▁that ▁has ▁a ▁chance ▁of ▁improvement ▁on ▁a ▁later ▁bet ting ▁round , ▁the ▁bet ▁or ▁raise ▁is ▁class ified ▁as ▁a ▁semi - bl uff . ▁On ▁the ▁other ▁hand , ▁a ▁bet ▁made ▁by ▁a ▁player ▁who ▁hopes ▁or ▁expects ▁to ▁be ▁called ▁by ▁we aker ▁hands ▁is ▁class ified ▁as ▁a ▁value ▁bet . ▁ ▁In ▁no - limit ▁and ▁pot - limit ▁games , ▁there ▁is ▁a ▁minimum ▁amount ▁that ▁is ▁required ▁to ▁be ▁bet ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁open ▁the ▁action . ▁In ▁games ▁with ▁bl inds , ▁this ▁amount ▁is ▁usually ▁the ▁amount ▁of ▁the ▁big ▁blind . ▁Standard ▁pok er ▁rules ▁require ▁that ▁ra ises ▁must ▁be ▁at ▁least ▁equal ▁to ▁the ▁amount ▁of ▁the ▁previous ▁bet ▁or ▁raise . ▁For ▁example , ▁if ▁an ▁oppon ent ▁bet s ▁$ 5 , ▁a ▁player ▁must ▁raise ▁by ▁at ▁least ▁another ▁$ 5 , ▁and ▁they ▁may ▁not ▁raise ▁by ▁only ▁$ 2 . ▁If ▁a ▁player ▁ra ises ▁a ▁bet ▁of ▁$ 5 ▁by ▁$ 7 ▁( for ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁$ 1 2 ), ▁the ▁next ▁re - raise ▁would ▁have ▁to ▁be ▁by ▁at ▁least ▁another ▁$ 7 ▁( the ▁previous ▁raise ) ▁more ▁than ▁the ▁$ 1