Poker is a game where two or more players make bets on their hands using cards. The objective is to win the “pot,” which is the sum of all bets made by all players in a deal. The player who has the best hand wins the pot, unless all of the other players fold their hands.
The first step in playing poker is to learn the rules of the game. There are a number of different rules that vary by game. One of the most important ones is that you need to ‘ante’ (put in money before the cards are dealt) or ‘blind’ (place a small bet before the cards are dealt) each time you wish to be dealt into the pot.
Next, the dealer deals the cards to each player in turn. The players then must call (put in the same amount of chips as any preceding player), raise (put in more than enough chips to be called), or drop (“fold”) their hand and discard it.
If you have a good hand, it’s always smart to raise. This way you can get more chips in the pot and push other players out of the game with weaker hands.
Similarly, if you have a bad hand, it’s always smart to fold. This will help you to save your chips for another hand, and keep yourself alive a little longer.