Poker is a card game played by 2 or more players. It’s a game of chance but players choose their actions on the basis of probability, psychology and game theory. Players can win or lose a hand but over the long run the best players will make money.
The first step in learning poker is to understand your opponents. This involves observing them in action and categorizing them. For example, if an opponent is always folding then they are tight. If they raise their hands preflop then they are loose. Observation will also tell you whether they are passive or aggressive. Once you have put your opponents into categories it’s important to know how to read the board.
After everyone has two cards there is a round of betting. This is initiated by 2 mandatory bets called blinds placed into the pot by the players to the left of the dealer.
When the flop is dealt the dealer puts three cards on the table that anyone can use. These are known as community cards. The top card is the turn and it’s then possible to form a high poker hand such as a flush or straight.
The most common poker hands are pairs such as kings or queens and straights that consist of 5 consecutive cards from different suits. Higher poker hands include 3 of a kind and full houses that consist of 3 matching cards of one rank and two matching cards of another.