Poker is a card game where players make bets on a single hand. It is a game of chance, but there is also skill and psychology involved.
Two to seven players can play poker. The cards are dealt face up or down in rounds, with betting taking place between each round. One player takes the role of dealer, who shuffles and cuts the deck after each round. He then deals a complete hand to each player.
When a bet comes around to you, you can “check” (put a small amount into the pot) or raise it. You can also fold your hand if you don’t like your cards or think you won’t win.
The highest hand wins the pot. The winning hand must include a pair or better of cards and at least one distinct high card. Ties are broken by the high card.
To make a pair, you have two matching cards of the same rank. A flush is five consecutive cards of the same suit. A straight is five cards in sequence, but not all of the same suit. A three of a kind is made up of three cards of the same rank, plus two other unmatched cards.
A player can open the betting on a hand by saying “I open”. This means that you will bet more than any other players before you, even when they don’t call your raise. You can only say this if you have a good reason and the other players agree.