Poker is a card game in which players place bets to win pots of chips. The amount of money won by a player depends on the cards in his hand, the community cards in play, and the other players’ decisions. While the outcome of any individual hand involves considerable luck, a player’s long-run expectations are determined by his actions chosen on the basis of probability, psychology, and game theory.
Players buy in for a set number of chips. A white chip is worth the minimum ante or bet; a red chip is worth 20 or 25 whites; and a blue chip is worth 10 or more whites. Each player is given the option to “call” a bet (match it) or “raise,” which means increasing the amount of money he bets by the same amount as the preceding player. A player may also choose to “drop” (fold), meaning that he puts no more chips into the pot and forfeits his hands to the dealer for the next round.
The cards are dealt face up to the table for everyone to see. Each player must use two of his own cards and five of the community cards to make a hand of five cards. The highest hand wins.
As a beginner, you should learn the basic rules of poker and familiarize yourself with hand rankings and betting rounds. It is also a good idea to read some foundational books on poker. However, don’t pay too much attention to books that provide very specific advice about particular hands or tells. Poker evolves pretty quickly, and old advice can easily become out-dated.
