Poker is a card game in which players place chips (representing money) into the pot, or “betting circle,” in turn to make a bet. A player can choose to fold, call, or raise a bet, but they must act according to the rules of the game. Poker has many variants, but the fundamental aim of each is to win a pot (or “showdown”) by making the best five-card hand. To achieve this, you must play within the rules and bet when you have faith in your cards, not just to make money but also to put pressure on opponents who may be bluffing or holding weak hands.
There are a few key terms to know when playing poker: ante, call, and raise. An ante is the first amount of money placed into the pot by a player before being dealt a hand. It is compulsory for players to put in an ante, but it can be any amount of money and does not necessarily represent the amount of strength of a player’s hand.
After the ante has been placed, the dealer deals three cards face-up on the table. These are called “community” cards, as they can be used by all remaining players. A round of betting then takes place, starting with the player to the left of the dealer.
If you want to call a bet, you must match or exceed the previous player’s bet. You can also increase a previous player’s bet, which is known as raising. If you raise someone’s bet and they call it, the chips in your hand are now in a larger pool than those of the other players, and you are more likely to win the pot.
When you’re in a hand, you can also choose to fold your cards and exit the game. Alternatively, you can say ‘call’ to put the same amount of money into the betting pool as the person who raised. You can also ‘raise’ the amount you’re putting into the pot, which is a sign that you think you have a strong hand and want to push other players to bet more.
A pro poker player focuses as much on their opponent’s moves as they do their own. This means looking beyond their own cards to think about what other people might have, and how they might react under different pressures. This kind of thinking is what separates beginners from pros. Having high-ranked cards can help, but it’s equally important to make other players fold early on, regardless of the strength of your own hand.