Poker is a card game in which players compete to put together the best possible hand of cards. The aim is to win a pot of money or chips. This is done by either having a high-ranked hand when the cards are shown or by betting that your hand will be the highest. The person who has the highest-ranked hand wins the pot of chips. If there is a tie the dealer wins.
Each player puts in an amount of money into the pot before seeing their cards – this is called the ante, the blind or the bring-in. This creates a pot of forced bets and encourages competition. Generally the person to the left of the button acts first, and has the choice to ‘call’ (match the highest bet made), ‘raise’ or ‘fold’.
Once everyone has acted in step one the dealer deals three cards face up on the table. These are known as the ‘community cards’ and anyone can use them. After this another round of betting takes place.
There are many different variations of poker, but the basics are the same. It is important to look beyond your own cards and consider what your opponent might have – this will allow you to make better decisions and increase the chances of making a strong hand. For example, if you know that your opponent is likely to fold when under pressure, you may choose to bet aggressively.