The Basics of Poker

Poker is a card game that involves chance but with a fair amount of psychology and skill. The goal is to use the cards you are dealt to make a good poker hand and win the pot (chips). There are many different types of poker games, but they all have some things in common. Most require a mandatory bet called the ante or blind before players see their cards. This creates a pot right away and encourages competition.

After the ante/blind is placed each player is dealt 2 hole cards. Then there is a round of betting, starting with the player to the left of the dealer. During the betting process a player can say “call” to match the highest bet made at the table so far, or they can raise it. If a player raises someone else’s raise, it is referred to as a “check-raise.”

Once the betting has been done, three community cards are put face up on the table. These are the flop. There is another round of betting and then the dealer puts 1 more card on the table that anyone can use, this is called the turn.

Once all of the players have a hand, there is a showdown. The player with the best 5 card poker hand wins the pot. There is also a high card rule that can break ties. If nobody has a pair or better then the highest card wins the tie.