What's harder - folding or calling?

Sometimes folding feels impossible, even when I know I'm beat. Which one gives you more trouble?

Folding is one of the easiest things to do in poker, calling is what can give you problems.

Folding is often harder than calling because it requires giving up potential winnings, resisting temptation, and trusting your read and strategy even when the hand looks promising. Calling can feel active and satisfying, while folding demands discipline, patience, and emotional control. Many players struggle to fold strong-looking hands, especially in high-stakes or tense situations, making it a key skill that separates average players from consistent winners. Mastering folding is crucial for long-term success in poker.

LiviuRo123 said:

Sometimes folding feels impossible, even when I know I'm beat. Which one gives you more trouble?

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That's a good question. It's probably more personality and playstyle on which is tougher for each person; obviously a GTO machine decides without feelings. I think most people find folding more difficult because they are there to play and not fold. That being said, I find that the best players have the wisdom to recognize when their usually strong hand is beat and they fold with no problems... often correctly!

I've made some good calls and good folds over the years, but I think folding is still mentally tougher. Calling feels like you are a hero on a hero call, but getting caught folding a winning hand feels worse... and so I'd say folding is more difficult.