Poker is a card game where players place forced bets (an ante or blind) before they are dealt cards. There are then multiple betting rounds with the highest hand winning the pot.
To play poker effectively it is important to understand the rules and fundamentals of the game. While the outcome of a particular hand does involve some element of chance, the long-run expectations of the players are determined by their actions chosen on the basis of probability, psychology and game theory.
Position is Very Important
Having the ability to act last during the post-flop portion of the hand gives you the power to make simple, cheap and effective bluffs. This is because you have more information than your opponents, which gives you the opportunity to force weaker hands out of the pot.
A Straight consists of five consecutive cards of the same suit. A Flush is two matching cards of one rank and three unmatched cards of another rank. A Pair is two cards of the same rank and two other unmatched cards. The High Card rule breaks ties.
Before the flop is dealt each player must first place a bet into the center of the table, which is called the pot. The dealer then shuffles the cards and deals each player a single hand, starting with the player to their left. Players can then discard up to three of their cards and draw new ones from the top of the deck.