What is Cold Call in poker?

A cold call refers to calling an open-raise when you haven't yet put any money into the pot during the current betting round. This play signifies a willingness to proceed without taking initiative, often indicating a medium-strength hand that plays well post-flop but isn't strong enough to 3-bet for value or as a bluff. Suitable cold-calling ranges typically include hands like small-to-medium pocket pairs for set-mining, suited connectors for their implied odds, or strong offsuit Broadway cards in late position. Cold calling should be done judiciously, as it gives up initiative and can lead to difficult spots out of position.

UTG opens to 3BB. The BTN, with no money invested yet, cold calls the 3BB with 88, hoping to hit a set or flop well.

Cold Call (Cold Call) belongs to the Betting side of the game and shows up in almost every hand of Texas Hold'em. If you are just starting out, read the poker rules and the hand rankings first, then come back here. To practise risk-free you can play against our AI right on the site.