There are many ways to play poker, but the basic goal is to use the cards you’re dealt to make the best five-card hand you can. The game involves betting between players, and the player who has the strongest hand at Showdown wins the pot.
The game is played with poker chips, and each player puts up a certain amount of money (the “ante”) to participate. A white chip is worth one unit, a red chip is worth five units, and a blue chip is usually worth 10 units.
Each player starts with two starting, or “hole,” cards. The cards are then dealt face up in the middle, called the pot, and each player can decide whether to call a bet or fold. If you call, you must match or raise the previous bets to stay in the hand.
If you fold, you’re out of the hand and will not pay into the pot for this round. However, it’s important to know when to fold, so you don’t waste good cards or a lot of money.
A strong hand will contain three or more matching cards of the same rank. A straight is five consecutive cards of the same suit. A flush is five cards of the same suit but from more than one suit. A full house is three matching cards of the same rank plus two matching cards of another rank. A pair is two cards of the same rank, and a single card, such as a joker, can make an entire hand.
