Folding is a poker skill

The best poker players fold most of the hands they are dealt.

The ten-minute lesson

1 minute — ask

Who thinks the player who plays the most hands usually wins?

3 minutes — explain

Poker rewards good opportunities, not constant action. Folding a weak starting hand keeps your chips ready for a better spot.

3 minutes — show

Deal a few hands face up: 7–2 offsuit, A–A, K–Q suited and 9–3 offsuit. Ask which hands feel worth continuing with and why.

2 minutes — simplify

For tonight, begin with pairs, aces and two strong high cards.

1 minute — challenge

Celebrate the best fold of the night—not merely the biggest pot.

If a folded hand would have made a monster on the flop, reinforce that the decision was correct with the information available at the time.