Poker is a card game in which players bet into the pot during each hand. The highest-ranked hand wins the pot. There are several variants of poker. The most common one involves betting in clockwise order, with the player to the left of the button betting first.
Players are dealt 2 cards each. The player to the left of the big blind takes the first turn to bet, or check (checking means you don’t owe anything to the pot). Once all players have checked, betting starts. The dealer will give you another card, and you will have the option to hit (stay) or double up (hit and stay).
On the flop, 3 more community cards are revealed. The next round of betting is called the turn, and then the river. After the fourth betting round, any players still in the hand will have to decide if they want to continue to “the showdown”.
A straight is 5 consecutive cards of the same rank, and a flush is 5 matching cards of the same suit. A pair is two cards of the same rank, and a high card breaks ties in case there are multiple pairs.
To play poker well, it’s important to have good instincts. It’s also crucial to practice and observe experienced players in different spots to develop your own instincts. Some new players are looking for cookie-cutter advice like “always 3bet X hands” or “always check-raise your flush draws.” But it’s crucial to realize that every spot is different, and you must be able to adjust your game to the situation at hand.