How to Play Poker

Poker is a card game that requires skill and a lot of luck. However, with proper strategy, players can win a significant amount of money from the game.

How to Play Poker

In most versions of poker, each player is dealt five cards face down. The hand is then followed by a betting interval, beginning with the player to the left of the dealer and ending with a showdown, when the highest-ranking poker hand wins the pot.

The highest possible poker hand is a royal flush. This is made of an Ace, King, Queen, Jack and ten in one suit (clubs, diamonds, hearts or spades).

Four of a kind is also a strong hand, but it’s only good if you have a fifth card of the same rank. A straight flush is five consecutive cards of the same suit, and a full house is four of a kind and a flush.

Choosing Your Bets

Before the cards are dealt, each player must ante an amount of money. The ante can be a small amount or a large one, and it varies by game.

When the first round of betting comes around, you have three options: Check, Call or Fold. When you say “call” it means that you want to make a bet equal to the last player’s bet.

Bluffing in Poker Explained

Bluffing is the practice of making a false bet to convince your opponents that you have a stronger hand than you do. It’s a critical part of poker, and Doug Polk explains it in great detail in his book Bluffing in Poker Explained.