Poker is a card game in which players try to bet a sum of money that will win a pot. The goal is to have the best hand possible, which is called a “poker hand.” It can be made up of any combination of cards. The winning hand is usually based on the best five-card poker hand, but there are other ways to win as well.
The Rules of Poker
In poker, each player begins the game by buying in with a fixed number of chips. These chips, which can be white, red, or blue in color, are assigned values by the dealer and exchanged for cash prior to the start of each round.
A player can choose to call (put into the pot the same amount of chips that a previous player put in), raise, or fold. When a player calls, they must put into the pot the same number of chips as the person who called them; when a player raises, they must put into the pot more than they were willing to call; and when a player folds, they must put no chips into the pot and discard their hand.
Betting Intervals: Each betting interval, or round, starts with a player making a bet. Each player to the left of the first player can either call or raise; if they raise, every other player has to call the new bet or fold.
The Flop: After betting, the dealer deals three cards face up on the board. Then, everyone still in the hand can use these cards to make a bet, called a “flop.”
Once the flop is complete, the dealer deals another card to each player. This card is called the turn, and again everyone in the hand can use it to make a bet.
This is the third round, and again anyone who still holds their hand can make a bet. The dealer then puts one more card face up on the board. Once this is done, the fourth round of betting takes place.
When the fourth round of betting is completed, a fifth card is dealt. The player who holds the best five-card poker hand wins the pot, and the game is over.