Poker is a card game in which each player has “chips” to bet with. Each player is dealt two cards (often referred to as their “hand”) and five community cards are then dealt face up on the table (“River”). The goal is to make the best 5 card hand by betting using a combination of your own 2 cards and the 5 community cards. If you bet and your opponents fold, you win the pot (all the chips that have been raised so far).
The highest-ranking hand is a royal flush, which consists of a 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace of the same suit, all of spades, hearts, diamonds, or clubs. The second highest hand is a straight, consisting of 5 consecutive cards of the same rank, all in the same suit. The third highest hand is a full house, which consists of three matching cards of one rank and two matching cards of another rank, plus a pair.
During the course of a game, players may establish a special fund, or kitty, in which one low-denomination chip is taken from each pot in which there has been more than one raise. This kitty is shared equally by all the remaining players, and it may be used for such purposes as paying for new decks of cards or for food and drinks. In addition to learning the rules of the game, it’s important to study your opponents’ body language and read their tells. Developing these instincts is crucial to successful bluffing in Poker.