Poker is often seen as a game of chance, but it actually involves quite a bit of psychology and skill when money is involved. It’s also a great way to spend time with friends. If you’re interested in learning the game, start by familiarizing yourself with the terminology and jargon. Then choose a learning method that suits your style. Whether it’s books with diagrams of game plays, or a group training course, there are plenty of options to choose from.
After each player has 2 hole cards, there is a round of betting, based on mandatory bets called blinds put into the pot by the players to the left of you. This is done to create an incentive for people to play the hand and raise the value of the pot.
Once the flop is dealt, another round of betting begins. Each player must decide if they will “call” that bet, meaning they will pay the same amount as any preceding player, or “raise,” which means they will put in more chips than anyone else, and possibly take down the pot. Alternatively, they can choose to “drop” their hand (fold) and leave the table.
The player with the best 5-card hand wins the entire pot. The best hands are the flush, which is 5 consecutive cards of the same rank, and a straight, which is 5 cards of the same suit in sequence. A pair is two cards of the same rank, and a 3 of a kind is three cards of the same rank and an unmatched card.