Basics of Poker

Poker is a card game played with chips that represent money. Players use these chips to bet on their hands and try to minimize losses with weak hands and maximize winnings with strong hands.

The rules vary widely, but there are several basic principles. First, a player must put an initial contribution called an ante into the pot before the deal begins. In each betting interval, the player with the highest-ranking poker combination in his faceup cards is called the first bettor and must make a bet at least as large as the last bet of the previous bettor.

A betting interval ends when the bets are equalized; that is, when each player has either put in exactly as much of his own chips or has dropped out. There may be two or more betting intervals in a deal, and after each one there is a showdown in which the hole cards are shown.

Hand Strength: The strongest five-card poker hand wins. The ranking of the cards in a poker hand is determined by mathematical frequency, and a hand is superior to another if it contains a higher-ranking card.

Turn Actions: You can perform three turn actions during a round of poker: Check, Fold, and Raise. You can Check if you do not want to play the round; Fold if you do not want to bet in that round; and Raise if you want to increase the stakes by betting more.