Poker is a card game in which players bet on the value of their hands. The player who has the highest hand when all players show their cards wins the “pot” – all bets that have been made during that round of play. The pot is split amongst the players in the event of a tie.
A player begins each betting interval (a hand) by placing an ante wager. They then look at their two cards, known as hole cards. They can then decide to place a play wager, which is equal to their ante. If they do, the rest of the players in the hand must either call that amount (put chips into the pot) or raise it.
If a player has no intention of playing their hand, they can check – pass on the betting. They can also fold, which means they put no chips into the pot and forfeit their hand. Alternatively, they can raise – put more chips into the pot than the previous player.
The best way to make a poker story interesting is to focus on the people at the table, their reactions and the by-play between them. A great way to do this is to use the five elements of plot conflict: exposition – the opening hands, where the players are feeling each other out; rising action – as bets increase, the key players reveal their cards; and resolution – the moment when the winners are revealed.