The Basics of Poker
Poker is hugely popular, and for good reason: it’s fun to play with friends, you can win real money, and there’s a deep element of strategy involved. But for beginners, learning the rules of poker can be a daunting task. That’s why we’ve put together this article to help you get started!
Regardless of the variant of poker you choose to play, there are some basic rules that apply to all games. In the most simple form, poker is played by each player betting on their own hand over a series of rounds before a showdown occurs. The player with the highest ranked hand wins the pot.
Before the game begins, each player must purchase a specified number of chips to “buy-in” for the first round of betting. Each chip represents a different amount of money, with the white chips being worth the minimum ante or bet and the red ones being worth either 10, 25, or five whites.
Once everyone has purchased their chips, the dealer shuffles the cards and deals each player two face-down cards. The player to their left acts first and has the option to check, call, raise, or fold.
Once all players have acted in this first betting round, another three cards are dealt to the table. These are called the community cards and are available to all players. This is followed by a second betting round.