Poker is a card game where players make bets with chips (representing money) that they place in the pot during each betting interval according to the rules of the specific game being played. In the end, the player with the highest ranked hand of cards wins the pot – all bets made by other players during the hand.
Each player has two cards (often referred to as your “hand”) and five community cards. A good strategy aims to use your own 2 cards and the 5 community cards to create a high value 5 card hand. This is often done by bluffing, which can be successful if the other players don’t recognize your strength or weakness.
A full house contains three matching cards of the same rank and two matching cards of another rank. A flush contains five consecutive cards of the same suit. A straight consists of five cards in order, but different suits. A pair consists of two cards of the same rank plus two unmatched cards.
The first bet of a hand is usually made by the person to the left of the dealer. Each hand then passes to the next player clockwise. As each player makes a bet, he or she can either call the previous player’s raise or fold his or her cards. Players can also bluff with their bets, although this will usually not work and only result in losing more money. This by-play among players is a major part of the drama of poker and often contributes to a good story.