In texas hold'em a bet says you have a good hand and when you raise, you say with confidence that you have the best hand and you're willing to back that up with your stack. If yo have a bad hand, you fold. Of course, almost no one sticks to that philosophy in texas hold'em poker, which is what makes hold'em not only a game of skill, but interesting and a lot of fun to play. It's a study in human nature.