Poker is a game played by a number of people around a table with cards and chips. It is a game of skill and strategy and the object is to win the “pot” which is all the bets made during a hand. There are many different forms of the game but they all involve betting and a showdown to determine the winning hand.
Players start the game by placing an ante (an amount of money, typically a nickel) into the pot to get dealt cards. Once they have their cards they can decide to fold, call or raise. The person with the highest ranked hand wins the pot.
In some cases there are ties, like four of a kind or a flush, and the winner is determined by the high card outside of the tie. Other ties, such as straights, break by the rules for High Card.
The dealer will shuffle the deck and then offer it to the player clockwise from them for a cut. This is known as the button position. Throughout the game the player with the button position deals and bets last.
When a player is raising or raising their bet it’s important to pay attention to their body language. They’ll often tense up or sit up in their chair if they have a good hand. Trying to read their tells is not easy because they work to conceal their emotions really well. However, with a little practice you can learn a few tells at a time.