Poker is a card game where players make bets to win money. There are many different variants of this game, but most involve betting in rounds and a showdown at the end where the player with the best hand wins.
To start the game each player must place an ante or blind bet into a pot before the first round of betting starts. This is to encourage players to contribute to the pot and increase the chance of winning a hand.
After the ante bet is placed one of the players at the table, designated by the rules of the game, is dealt cards from a shuffled deck. This person is known as the dealer and they cut the deck once. Then the players in turn clockwise to them bet on their cards.
Once the first betting round is complete the dealer puts three cards on the table that anyone can use called the flop. After the flop betting begins you must decide whether to call bets with your weak hand or bluff and hope for luck.
In poker there are several hands you can make, starting with the highest which is a Royal Flush (A, K, Q, J, 10 of the same suit). Other common hands include Straight (five cards in sequence but not in a suit), Four of a Kind (four cards of the same number/picture); Flush (five cards of the same suit); and Two Pairs (2 matching cards). Say “call” when the player before you makes a bet and you want to match their amount. Or you can say “raise” to increase your bet and try to out-bet the other players.