Knowing When and Why to Call
Most often, poker basics such as calling are often neglected, perhaps because of it being treated simply as a mechanism of poker. However, treating basic actions in a non-strategic manner would only lead to its inefficient use, and to ineffective plays. Knowing when and why to use a basic poker action such as calling would help one play a lot better, and strategize more efficiently.
In order to call effectively, one must know what calling provides: The very obvious thing, of course, is that one is able to enter the betting round and vie for the pot. Unlike raising, however, calling offers only one way to win: through facing other hands at showdown. Another is that it allows players to avoid a re-raise: if all other players call, then the original bettor would not be allowed to re-raise.
Another characteristic of calling that a poker player must know is that it is a form of passive play. This has certain strategic implications, the most obvious of which is that calling could evoke an image of an uncertainty with regards to the strength of your hand. One could thus use a call to hide the strength of one's hand.
Think about it: if one has a strong hand, then playing aggressively by raising would most likely intimidate other players into folding, thus limiting the size of the pot. If one would only call, then the players who are to act next would have more favorable pot odds, and therefore are likely to call or raise, thus increasing the pot size. Calling, thus, is a favorable action for slow playing.
Calling would also be the proper action against players who slow play, since it would defeat the aim of putting more money in the pot, that would be accomplished when someone raises. A hesitant slow player would most likely raise in the situation that no one does, thus uncovering that player's deceit.
Also, calling would be favorable to players who have a drawing hand, or a hand that would improve when the flop, turn, or river comes. Because raising prolongs the betting round, then a player with a drawing hand would see more cards if they would call. Seeing more cards earlier means that one could assess the strength of one's hand earlier, thus losing little once the hand shows no chance of improving.
Remember, poker basics might seem to be easy to understand, but using them efficiently requires another skill altogether. Calling might seem to be just a simple mechanism of poker, but one could use it in conjunction with several strategies: slow playing and breaking slow-plays, improving a drawing hand, and stopping re-raises. By knowing when the proper opportunity and the situation to call, one would be sure to improve one's game.