Dead Money Review

What Is Dead Money ?

When a player folds a hand and has chips leftover they leave them behind. This is referred to as Dead Money. Players only fold like this when they know they have zero chance of winning the hand. They know those chips are a financial loss for them. However, the term dead money has another meaning as well. If a player thinks their opponent is too inexperienced at the game they will refer to them as dead money. It is also applied to players that don’t have a grasp on the game and aren’t likely to win the pot, as a result.

Dead Money Explained

If a player is forced to make a payment to a game’s pot because they paid the big blind, it is known as dead money. For example, if a player’s hand contains a two or seven in the game’s first round, the value of the hand is significantly raised.

In most cases, a player in the example above has a hand that couldn’t possibly be much worse. Even though the player has put money in the pot, they are likely to fold their hand at that point. The money they put in the pot is then considered dead money. So because for them, the hand is over, as their chances of winning their money back are non-existent.

Dead money is also used to identify a player that is still involved in the game actively, even though they can’t win it. The combination of the chips they’ve already bet and the ones they put in the pot make up their dead money.

When a player seems like they don’t understand the game, other players call them dead money as a result. In this case, the player’s opponents are convinced they can beat them. Therefore, money invested in the pot will simply end up being dead money anyway.

It is not unusual after a hand has been completed, for a player to say they wanted to play against their opponent because they knew he or she was dead money. However, players take a chance on doing this. There are times when a player deemed dead money may get lucky, even if they don’t understand how the game works.