Poker is a card game played between two or more players. Usually, it is played with a standard 52-card English deck with one or more jokers/wild cards (depending on the rules of your particular game). Each player has two personal cards which they hide from the other players and the dealer, and five community cards that are shared by all the players. The aim of the game is to form the highest ranking hand of cards, based on their odds. The player with the best hand wins the pot. Ties are broken by the value of a pair of highest unmatched cards or secondary pairs (in a full house, for example).
Each round begins with one or more players making some form of compulsory bet, known as a ‘blind’ or ‘ante’. After the blind or ante is placed, each player must either call the amount of the previous bet or fold, losing any money they have already invested in the hand.
Once the pre-flop betting has completed, the dealer deals three community cards face up on the table. These are known as the flop. Players can then choose to continue betting, raise or fold.
A significant portion of poker strategy is in knowing when to bluff. By betting that your hands are stronger than they are, you can induce your opponents to believe you and fold instead of taking on your challenge in a showdown. This element of bluffing requires careful observation and attention to your opponent’s behaviour – their physical poker tells, their betting patterns and how often they check and call.
