Poker is a card game in which players place chips (representing money) into a pot and the highest hand wins. Players start each hand by putting in an initial bet, or ‘ante’, then are dealt cards. When it’s their turn to act, they may call, raise or fold.
If someone calls, they must put at least as much into the pot as the player before them (called equalizing). In addition, a player who says ‘call’ must call at any raise by another player. If they don’t, they must fold their cards.
There are five different types of poker hands: high pair, two pairs, three of a kind, straight, and flush. A high pair consists of two distinct cards of the same rank. Two pair consists of two distinct cards of the second highest rank and one unmatched card. A straight consists of five cards in consecutive order, of any suit. A flush consists of four cards of the same suit.
To play poker, you must be willing to make risky calls and to bluff occasionally. If you don’t, your opponent will take advantage of you and win the pot with a better hand than yours. But if you’re wise and patient, your skill will improve, and over time you’ll become a winning player. Keep an eye out for new developments in theory and play style; absorb them but never forget the basics that got you there. Eventually you’ll be the one breaking new ground and changing the game of poker.