See, bet, raise, check or fold. These are your options at the poker table. And today I'm tackling the last one and revealing all those popular myths about folding in poker.

After all, there are countless ways to play out your hands at a poker table. And now it's time to gather round and learn what myths about folding there are floating around the poker rooms, both online and IRL. It might sound crazy, but with a little practice, the simple act of folding can help you improve your poker game…

Myths about folding

Let's cycle through some common myths about folding and BUST them so you don't go bust.

People who fold a lot in poker are cowards

Let's all do a synchronised eye roll. Folding is not a sign of poker cowardice. Far from it. Folding takes guts and courage and smarts. You fold not because you're scared of the action, but because you're confident in your game plan and in your playing abilities.

Folding leads to boring games

Here's another big fat NO WAY to one of my most hated myths about folding. Personally, I'd much rather be at a table where people fold hands they don't want to play as opposed to limping in with halfway decent hands only to have to eventually fold anyway after an unsatisfactory flop.

No, let's fold when we know our hands aren't likely to go anywhere and cut the proverbial crap. Nothing worse than time wasting (although of course sometimes a few dopes limping in can add to the pot…). But I digress, in lots of instances, folding actually speeds up the game play overall.

You can't win if you're always folding

Well I guess if you're being technical about it, this is true. It's pretty near impossible to win if you only ever fold. But listen, if you fold a lot and wait for your good cards to act, you're a lot more likely to win bigger hands more often. You waste less money betting on weak hands and win more pots by focusing your efforts.

Never fold your lucky hand

Admit it, we've all been there. A miraculous win with a mediocre hand and suddenly you put the magic of that triumph down to those two cards. Some divine power has singled you out to be uniquely lucky when you have a 5 and Jack of hearts. And from here on out, you should never fold them. Because to fold those hands means to turn your back on the magic.

Yeah, that's a load of codswallop. I don't care what happened in the past, please continue to fold your crappy hands. This is one of those myths about folding that definitely belongs in the rubbish dump.

Treat yourself to a few hands after a big win

So you've just won a big pot. It'd be bad form to start folding now. Your stack is nice and fat, so you can afford to dip your toe in and see what happens, even if your next few hands aren't up to much.

I think you're going to guess where I stand on this one. It's just a bad idea. I don't care how much you won in the last hand, if you're dealt bad cards, don't bother playing them.

There's no point in dwindling your money away on rubbish cards, no matter how confident that win has made you feel. Stick to the facts and not one of the most dangerous myths about folding.

Where can I put my new folding wisdom to the test?

Now that you're fully informed on myths about folding, you're going to need a good online poker room to test out these theories. If you're in the market for a new one, here's a suggestion. Maybe you should give bet365 a go. New to bet365? Well that's even better! There's a brilliant welcome offer, plus here's a bet365 bonus code you can use when you sign up.

Anyone who gambles in any form must be of legal gambling age in their jurisdiction. In the UK and Ireland, you must be at least 18 years of age to gamble. Always gamble responsibly and find tips on how to do just that at Be Gamble Aware.

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