Poker is a card game in which the aim is to have the highest-ranked poker hand at the end of a betting round. The player who has the highest ranked hand wins the pot – all of the bets that were placed during that round. If no one has a high enough poker hand then the dealer wins the pot.
In most games of poker all players buy in for a certain number of chips. These are usually colored and have a specific value. A white chip is worth the minimum ante or blind bet; a red chip is worth five whites and so on. Players may play poker with any amount of money but it is best to start out at low stakes and increase your bet sizes as you get more comfortable in the game.
After the antes have been placed and the players have their 2 hole cards the first of several betting rounds begins. This is initiated by the player to the left of the dealer making two mandatory bets called blinds.
Once the betting is over the dealer deals 3 community cards face up on the table. These are called the flop and they can be used by any player in their poker hand. A second betting round then begins.
Advanced poker players will try to predict their opponents’ range. This means they will look at the entire scale of hands that their opponent can have and then act accordingly. This is in contrast to beginners who often only look at their own range of hands and make decisions based on gut feelings alone.