The game of poker involves betting amongst players who have cards in their hands. Players can win the pot, or the total amount of bets placed, by having a winning hand. It is a card game with many variants and rules, but the basic principles remain similar in most forms of the game.
Players must place forced bets before being dealt cards, either an ante or blind bet (or both). The dealer then shuffles the cards and deals them to the players one at a time beginning with the player on their left. Cards may be dealt face up or face down depending on the variant of poker being played. After the initial deal, the first of several betting rounds begins.
When it is your turn to bet, you can say “call” if you wish to match the amount of money that the person to your right has raised. If you want to raise the amount of money you are betting, you can say “raise.” If you don’t want to increase your bet, you can say “fold.”
Throughout the game, players must pay attention to how their opponents are playing. This is known as reading your opponent. Observing the way that they play will allow you to determine whether they are holding a strong or weak hand. A large part of this skill comes from studying subtle physical poker tells, but it can also be learned by simply paying attention to their betting patterns.