Poker is a card game in which players wager chips and make a final showdown to determine who has the best hand. It’s an addictive and fun game that can be played at home or on the go, and you’ll love it once you start winning!
Depending on the rules of the game, one or more players are required to place an initial amount of money into the pot before the cards are dealt. This is called a forced bet and can come in the form of an ante or a blind bet.
After the forced bets are placed the dealer shuffles and deals cards to each player, starting with the person on their left. Each player may then decide to either call the bet by putting in the same amount of chips as the person before them, raise the bet (put in more than the last person), or drop out of the hand. If you raise the bet, you must say “raise” to let the other players know that you want to add more money to the betting pool.
When playing poker it’s important to know the basic hands and how they are ranked. A Straight is a five-card hand of consecutive ranks, such as an Ace, Two, Three, Four and Five. A Three of a Kind is a hand that contains three cards of the same rank, such as three jacks or three sixes. Two Pair is a hand that contains two pairs of matching cards, such as two kings and two queens.