Poker is a game of skill, strategy, and luck–but mostly it’s just really fun. There are countless variations, from standard rules to wild versions like Strip Poker that make you hold the cards behind your back. But to truly master poker, it helps to have a few key principles in mind.
One is that good poker players know how to read the game, especially the betting pattern of other players. Then they act accordingly.
When a player first looks at her cards, she must decide whether to play, or at least “call” the previous bets made in that betting interval (or else fold). She can also raise her own bet–which depends on her own perception of her chances of winning and the strength of the opponents’ hands.
After the flop, there’s another round of betting, with the player to the left of the button beginning that process. At this point, the remaining players must reveal their cards in order to win, and they can do so by calling, raising, or folding.
Eventually, most of the players will have revealed their cards, and the last remaining players will be left to fight over the pot. The winner is the one who has the highest hand–which can consist of a straight, a flush, a full house, or two pairs. This is called the “showdown.”