How to Play Poker

Poker is one of the most popular card games in the world. The game is a combination of skill, luck and strategy. Players try to get chips from other players and make the best hand possible by using their cards.

Rules and Strategy

A player’s hand must be made from his or her two face-up cards plus any additional card that shows on the flop, turn or river. The winning hand is usually the highest. The top five hands are: royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, and flush.

How to Play

There are a variety of different poker variants, each with its own rules and betting intervals. A basic rule is that every player must put in the ante and blind bets before being dealt their cards.

After the ante and blind bets are placed, each player receives one face-down card (his hole card) and one face-up card. The deal is interrupted for a betting interval and then resumed in the same order.

How to Play

If you don’t want to bet yet, say “I open.” The next player to act is said to check. If everyone checks, the betting round is over and no additional money is put into the pot.

If a player wants to bet, they say “call.” They are stating that they wish to match the last bet or raise. They also place the same amount of money in chips or cash in the pot as was put into the last bet.