Poker is a card game where players wager on the outcome of a hand. It is a game of chance but when betting is introduced there can be a large amount of skill and psychology involved.
At the start of a hand players place an ante wager and receive three cards. They can then choose to fold or play their hand. Players can also call a bet by saying “call” or matching the amount of the last bet. If no one calls a bet a player may raise it.
After the first round of betting a fourth card is added to the table. This is known as the flop. Then a final betting round is completed. Once the betting is over the best five-card hand wins the pot.
The best hand is a royal flush which includes a 10 jack, king, queen, and ace of the same suit. If two hands have four of a kind the highest rank wins (five aces beats five kings). Ties are broken by high card or in some games the highest pair.
It is considered poor etiquette to show your cards before the end of a hand. This is called cheating and it will not be tolerated in the game of poker. A good way to avoid this is to say “fold” and place your cards face down on the table at the end of your turn. This will prevent any other players from calling your bet and seeing your cards.