Poker is a card game where players place chips (representing money) into a pot in the middle of the table. Unlike most casino games, where the game results are largely based on chance, in Poker, player decisions are made based on probability, psychology and game theory. While some variants require all players to make an initial bet called an ante, the majority of betting is done by raising the amount of money that has been staked in the pot. A player wishing to stay in the pot must either call this raise or put up an amount equal to that of the last raiser.
After the first round of betting, players are dealt two cards face down (hidden from other players). They then aim to build a five card poker hand with these cards and the three community cards revealed in the center of the table.
The highest poker hand wins the pot. Generally, any hand with the highest ranking in one of the categories (full house, straight, flush) beats a lower ranking hand. The exact rankings of poker hands are standardized and published in most poker books and guides.
In the early stages of a hand, most betting is low and players are feeling each other out. This is a good time for players to use tells, which are actions that reveal information about their hand and can be used to deceive other players. For example, a player who folds often is bluffing when they say that their hand is strong.