Poker is a card game where players bet in rounds and raise and re-raise. It is a fascinating game of strategy, psychology and luck.
Each betting round starts when one player, in turn, puts a low-denomination chip into the pot. Then the player to his left must either call that bet by putting in the same amount of money, or raise it. Alternatively, they can drop out of the hand by removing their chips from the pot. Often the players will establish a fund, called the “kitty,” that is used to pay for things like new cards or food and drink. The kitty is usually built up by “cutting” a single low-denomination chip from each pot in which there has been more than one raise.
Once the first betting round is complete the dealer deals three cards face up on the table that are community cards everyone can use (called the flop). This starts the second betting round. If you have a strong poker hand then it is best to stay in the hand and bet at it to force weaker hands out of the way.
It is important to remember that even strong poker hands can lose if the board has lots of straight and flush cards on it. So it is essential to know your opponent and their tendencies. Observe how they play and try to figure out their betting patterns and read their body language. The more you practice this the quicker your instincts will become.