Poker is a card game in which players bet whether they have the best hand. The value of a poker hand is in inverse proportion to its mathematical frequency; the more rare a poker hand is, the higher it ranks. Players may also bluff, betting that they have a good hand when they do not. If other players call the bet, the bluffing player wins the pot.
A game of poker is typically played with chips that are worth a specific amount, usually one white chip equals $1 and each color (usually red) represents a different denomination. Each player purchases a certain number of chips at the beginning of the game and is given a set of cards.
The players around the table take turns revealing their hands and betting, clockwise from the dealer. When a player’s turn comes, they must either fold or reveal their hand to other players. If they choose to reveal their hand, they cannot win the pot.
For example, if a player is dealt a pair of kings off the deal they should probably check, because it’s not a great hand but also not too bad. But if the player to their left calls they should raise.
The goal of the game is to make your opponents think you have a good hand. If they always know what you have you’ll never get paid off on your big hands and your bluffs won’t work as well.