Poker is a card game played by two or more players and involves betting in a central pot. The object of the game is to win the pot, which is the sum total of all bets made by all players in a given hand. Players can bet with either cash or chips. Each player is dealt cards face down and one card face up, with the player having the highest poker combination winning the pot.
The game can be played with any number of players, from 2 to 14, though the ideal amount is 6 or 7 players. The dealer shuffles the cards, then deals each player a card, starting with the player on their left. If a player does not want to be dealt any more cards they must offer the shuffled pack to their opponent for a cut (this is called being “offered the button”).
Each round of betting is known as a betting interval, and a hand consists of the player’s best five cards. Typical hands include a pair of kings, three of a kind, straight, flush, or royal flush. Some games allow the use of wild cards, making the possibilities even more varied.
When betting comes around to you, you can say “call” to match the last bet or raise by adding more money to the pot. You can also choose to fold if you do not want to make a bet or have a weak hand.