Betting as a Second Language

I watch a lot of people when they first start playing struggle with betting and raising. Most newbies are either calling stations or timidly fold all but the very best hands out of frustration. Betting is a form of communication, a second language. When somebody bets she is trying to tell you something. "Hey, I have a good hand" for example. When somebody raises they are in effect saying "Yeah, but my hand is better!" Think of it as the poker equivalent of a gorilla pounding his chest. A check is the equivalent of putting your tail between your legs. The trick in poker and what makes it so interesting is some will intentionally try to deceive you. Does that reraise really mean he has the best hand or is he lying? Does that check really mean he is holding rags? What about a check raise, what does that mean? Your decisions at the poker table are going to come down to pot odds, your hand, your outs and what you think your opponents are trying to tell you by how they bet. Then you have to ask yourself are they lying? I invite you to study betting as a second language.