Poker is a card game where players compete against each other for a prize (pot of chips) by betting on their hand. The winner takes all the chips in the pot. Before the start of a hand, a player is assigned to do the shuffling and take the bets in a clockwise fashion around the table, called being the dealer. This position passes after each hand unless there is agreement between the players that it will remain the same.
After the forced bets, each player is dealt two cards face down. They then have the option to call – match or increase the highest bet made at the table so far, or fold their hand. This decision is based on a combination of expected value, psychology and game theory. In addition, many players will bluff to make the opponent think they have a good hand.
In the second stage, called the flop, an additional card is added to the community cards and there is another round of betting. Then the final card is revealed in a round called the river, and there is one last round of betting before all hands are shown.
The best poker hands are straights or flushes which contain five consecutive cards of the same suit, or three of a kind where you have 3 matching cards of one rank and 2 matching cards of another. Other hands, such as a pair, are made up of two cards of the same rank and 2 other unmatched cards.