Poker is a card game where players compete to make the best ranked hand of cards. Traditionally, the highest ranked hand wins the pot of money bet during that hand. The pot may be cash or poker chips. Players can also win by bluffing, which is when they pretend to have a better hand than they actually do.

In a typical game of poker, each player receives two cards face down and one card face up. Then, there is a round of betting which is initiated by 2 mandatory bets called blinds. These bets are placed into the pot by the two players to the left of the dealer and are only used when no one has a hand to show yet.

Once the betting phase is over, the players then reveal their hands. If the player does not have a good hand, they can continue to bet in the hope that their luck will turn or they can fold and leave the table for another round with new cards.

While describing a poker game is important for setting the scene, it is more important to focus on the characters’ reactions to the cards that are played. Who flinches and who smiles is what will give the reader the true sense of the tension of the scene. If you do not pay attention to the players’ emotions, the story will seem flat and trite. Using the five elements of plot conflict, you can make even the dullest poker scene interesting.