Poker is a card game in which players bet money into a pot, hoping to win the most chips. The outcome is dependent on the cards dealt, the betting habits of the opponents, and the players’ skills in reading other players’ actions, odds, and bluffing.
Typically, a poker hand is a five-card combination of one or more cards of each rank. The highest possible hand is a straight, which is a consecutive sequence of five cards in sequence from Ace to King; the lowest possible hand is a flush, which is a sequence of three cards in sequence from Ace to Jack.
The dealer “burns” one card from the top of the deck (deals it facedown) and then deals the first three community cards, called the flop, to the table. The player to the left of the dealer, who is still in the hand, acts first by folding, calling or raising his own small blind bet.
Once all the players at the table have folded, checked or raised their small blind, the round of betting is over. The best 5-card hand wins the pot, which is shared among the players holding that hand; sometimes there is a tie for the pot among the players with the best five-card hands.
Most no-limit and pot-limit poker games require a minimum amount to be placed in the pot before any action can be started. This minimum is usually the amount of the big blind bet, though some games allow a greater amount. For example, a player who raises their last bet by $7 must increase the next bet by at least the same amount.