Learn the rules and strategies of poker. Practice different hands, focusing on the basic odds of getting them right, before moving on to more complex strategy. Practice with friends in a relaxed, informal setting, and be sure to use chips that aren’t real money, so you can learn without hurting anyone financially.
During the game, players can either check (pass on betting), call, or raise, which means they add more chips to the pot than the player before them did. The amount they can raise depends on the poker variant being played and may include a maximum.
After the first round of betting is complete, the dealer puts three cards face up on the table that are community cards that any player can use to make a five-card poker hand. This is called the flop.
In the next betting round, known as the turn, an additional card is added to the table, making a total of four community cards. Then, in the final betting round, the fifth and last community card is revealed, which is known as the river.
If you have the best poker hand, you win! The highest possible poker hand is a royal flush, which contains all of the cards in one suit. A straight is 5 consecutive cards of one rank, while a three of a kind is two cards of the same rank, plus another card of any rank. A pair is made up of two matching cards, while high card is just the highest unmatched card.