Poker is a game played by 2 or more players, and involves betting amongst the players. Depending on the rules of the variant being played, one player has the privilege or obligation to put up an initial amount of money, represented by chips, before cards are dealt. This is called the ante.
Once everyone has their 2 hole cards, there is a round of betting. This is usually presided over by the dealer. The first player to act has the option of either calling (putting in the same amount as the player before him) or raising (putting in more than the previous player).
There are a number of different hands that can be made. The most common are the straight, full house, and flush. A straight consists of 5 consecutive cards of the same suit. A full house contains 3 matching cards of one rank and two matching cards of another rank. A flush consists of any 5 cards that are not consecutive, but of the same suit.
A key part of becoming a better player is learning to look beyond your own cards and thinking about what your opponents might have. This is called reading your opponent and comes from experience at the table, and also from studying a player’s past behavior. This is not easy and takes practice, but it is what separates beginners from pros. A good poker player focuses as much on their opponent’s moves as they do on their own.
