The Basics of Poker
Poker is a card game in which players bet into a pot of money in order to win a hand. There are many different variants of poker, but the basic game is played by dealing each player two cards, called “hole cards” or “poker hands”.
The goal of the game is to make the best possible poker hand from your 2 hole cards and 5 community cards. This is done by betting into the pot and revealing your cards when you win.
Rules for Play
The game begins with a pack of cards being dealt to each player in rotation face up. The first player to the left of the dealer is designated as the “dealer”.
Betting rounds begin with the dealer dealing three cards to the table and any remaining players in the hand are given a chance to bet. If all players fold on any round, the next card in the deck is revealed and a new round of betting begins.
A betting round can last for as long as the pot continues to accumulate, or it can be interrupted by a player who calls a bet and shows their cards. If there is no action after a certain number of betting rounds, the last card in the deck is revealed and a showdown takes place.
The highest hand wins the pot. This is determined by the combination of the highest cards in each player’s hand and the community cards.