Poker is a card game with a lot of betting and quite a bit of skill involved. Although luck does play a big role in a specific hand, the overall outcome of a game of poker is heavily dependent on player actions chosen on the basis of probability and psychology.
Before the cards are dealt players decide how much to wager, called “opening” the pot. Then each player gets 2 cards face down. If they believe their hands are low in value, they can say “hit” and the dealer will give them another card. If they think their hands are good, they can “stay” and not risk losing any chips.
After the flop is revealed, a new round of betting begins. Depending on your rules, the dealer may put a fifth card on the board that anyone can use (called the river). At this point everyone still in the hand gets a chance to check, raise or fold.
When someone has a strong hand they can call bets to increase the amount of money in the pot. Alternatively, they can fold their cards and throw them away. They can also try to bluff other players into calling their bets by making wild gestures or talking to other players at the table.
The highest-ranked hand wins the pot. There are many different types of poker hands. For example, a royal flush is made up of the Ace, King, Queen, and Jack of one suit. A straight is five consecutive cards of the same rank. Three of a kind is 3 matching cards of one rank, while two pair has 2 cards of the same rank and another unmatched card.
A full house is made up of 3 matching cards and a pair of cards. A flush is 5 cards of the same rank, but they can be from more than one suit. Four of a kind is 4 matching cards of any rank.
While it is not possible to learn everything about poker in a single article, the basics are pretty easy to understand. A lot of the strategy and math is more complicated, but a good place to start is with the basic rules and then work your way up from there.
A common mistake that new players make is looking for cookie-cutter advice like “always 3bet X hands.” There are a lot of factors at play in any given spot, and just because a coach says to barrel off in a particular situation does not mean it’s going to be the best move in your specific situation. Also, remember that you have to read your opponents, which can be done by studying subtle physical tells, as well as their betting patterns and their overall style of play. By studying the play of other players, you can gain a huge edge over them in the long run. There was a time, around 8-10 years ago, when the 2+2 poker forum was awesome and people freely shared in-depth strategy.