A “cold call” in poker happens when a player calls without having made any prior bets in the current betting round. This term is most often used to describe a situation where a player calls after one or several raises.

For example:

Player A places a bet.

Player B raises.

Player C cold calls.

In this case, Player C has cold called because they matched the bet after it was raised, without raising it themselves.

A cold call could indicate that a customer has a strong hand, but not strong enough to raise the stake, or that the player wants to see the next cards for cheap, without having to engage in aggressive betting. This can also be a strategic move to mislead opponents as to the strength of your hand.