Poker Glossary
Poker glossary

Keep Them Honest

To keep them honest is to call a bet, usually at the end of a hand, so that your opponent cannot bluff you every time. You call to make him show a real hand sometimes.

The simple explanation

If someone bets and you call just to see his cards, you are keeping him honest. A player who is never called can bluff freely.

A closer look

The idea is about balance. If you always fold to river bets, opponents learn to bluff you. A call from time to time makes bluffs risky. But be careful: the phrase is often used to excuse a poor call. A call only makes sense if your hand beats enough of his bluffs to be worth the price, so use it with pot odds and a read, not as a reason by itself.

A practical example

The opponent bets the river again on a dry board, and the player calls with second pair to keep him honest.

Full explanation

To keep them honest is to call a bet, usually at the end of a hand, so that your opponent cannot bluff you every time. You call to make him show a real hand sometimes.

To keep them honest is to call so that an opponent cannot bluff for free.

It usually refers to calls at the end of the hand.

Occasional calls make bluffs less profitable.

Check pot odds and your read before you call.

A bluff catcher

No-limit Hold’em · Blinds 1/2 chips · No rake

Read the example transcript

Player A has the button (BTN) and posts the 1-chip small blind (SB). Player B posts the 2-chip big blind (BB).

  1. Preflop · Pot: 3 chips

    The blinds are 1 and 2 chips. Heads-up, the dealer (D) also posts the small blind.

    • Player A BTN / SB King of hearts (Kh)Queen of spades (Qs) · Stack 199 · In this round 1
    • Player B BB 8 of spades (8s)8 of hearts (8h) · Stack 198 · In this round 2
  2. Preflop · Pot: 8 chips

    Player A raises to 6 before the flop.

    • Player A BTN / SB King of hearts (Kh)Queen of spades (Qs) · Stack 194 · In this round 6
    • Player B BB 8 of spades (8s)8 of hearts (8h) · Stack 198 · In this round 2
  3. Preflop · Pot: 12 chips

    Player B calls. Each player has put in 6 chips.

    • Player A BTN / SB King of hearts (Kh)Queen of spades (Qs) · Stack 194 · In this round 6
    • Player B BB 8 of spades (8s)8 of hearts (8h) · Stack 194 · In this round 6
  4. Flop · Pot: 12 chips

    The flop has an ace. Player B has a pair of eights and acts first.

    Board: Ace of clubs (Ac)7 of diamonds (7d)2 of spades (2s)

    • Player A BTN / SB King of hearts (Kh)Queen of spades (Qs) · Stack 194 · In this round 0
    • Player B BB 8 of spades (8s)8 of hearts (8h) · Stack 194 · In this round 0
  5. Flop · Pot: 12 chips

    Player B checks.

    Board: Ace of clubs (Ac)7 of diamonds (7d)2 of spades (2s)

    • Player A BTN / SB King of hearts (Kh)Queen of spades (Qs) · Stack 194 · In this round 0
    • Player B BB 8 of spades (8s)8 of hearts (8h) · Stack 194 · In this round 0
  6. Flop · Pot: 18 chips

    Player A bets 6.

    Board: Ace of clubs (Ac)7 of diamonds (7d)2 of spades (2s)

    • Player A BTN / SB King of hearts (Kh)Queen of spades (Qs) · Stack 188 · In this round 6
    • Player B BB 8 of spades (8s)8 of hearts (8h) · Stack 194 · In this round 0
  7. Flop · Pot: 24 chips

    Player B calls with a pair of eights. The hand beats a bluff but loses to any ace, so it is a bluff catcher.

    Board: Ace of clubs (Ac)7 of diamonds (7d)2 of spades (2s)

    • Player A BTN / SB King of hearts (Kh)Queen of spades (Qs) · Stack 188 · In this round 6
    • Player B BB 8 of spades (8s)8 of hearts (8h) · Stack 188 · In this round 6

Cards are shown for learning; totals are displayed before pot collection.

Explore this topic

bettingintermediatestrategyPoker