Poker is a card game that can be played by two or more players. It involves betting in a pot (the amount bet varies by game). The object is to have the highest poker hand, or fold and let someone else win the pot. There are many different forms of poker, but most involve a standard 52-card deck and the same basic rules.
To start the hand, each player must place an ante, usually a small amount of money, into the pot. Then, the cards are dealt. Once the cards are dealt, betting begins in a clockwise direction. Players can call, raise or fold their hands during the betting interval.
When betting comes around to you, you can raise your bet if you have a good hand. You can also check your hand, which means that you don’t want to put any more money into the pot. Checking your hand can help you figure out how strong the other players’ hands are. It can also help you learn how to read other players’ tells.
A high hand is made of 3 cards of the same rank, a straight is 5 cards in consecutive rank but from different suits, and a full house is three matching pairs of cards. A high card breaks ties in cases where nobody has a pair or better. In most games, the person with the highest hand wins the pot. However, some games have different winning hands.