How to Play Poker

The game of poker is played with a standard deck of 52 cards (although some variants use more). There are four suits: spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs. Each suit is ranked differently but there are some combinations that beat others.

The first step is to learn the rules. This should be done before you begin to play with other people. Then, decide how much you want to bet. This should be based on your own experience, what you think you have to win the hand, and how comfortable you are with risking money.

Once all players have 2 hole cards, a round of betting starts. The player to the left of the dealer puts in 2 mandatory bets called blinds, which create a pot of money that everyone has an incentive to compete for.

After the flop, another card is dealt face up. Then a further round of betting begins, again starting with the player to the left of the dealer.

The highest five card hand wins the pot. If more than one person has the same five cards, then it is a tie. Other high hand types include a full house (3 matching cards of one rank and two matching cards of another), a flush (5 consecutive cards from the same suit), three of a kind, and pair. There are a number of other hands, but these are less common.