Poker is a card game with a lot of rules, but at its core, it’s about making the best five-card hand. You want to make a high-ranking hand, but you can also try to fool your opponents into thinking you have a good hand when you don’t. That’s what bluffing is all about.
A typical poker game includes a dealer and two or more players. Each player puts in chips, which represent money. Unlike cash, these are easier to stack, count, keep track of, and make change with. Each color of chip represents a different dollar amount. Some people play in the privacy of their homes, while others prefer to meet at bars or casinos and bet with real money.
Once everyone has their cards, betting begins. The first person to the left of the dealer opens the pot by putting in one or more chips, depending on the game. After this, the rest of the players can either call (match the amount put in by the player before him) or raise the bet.
When you raise, you must put in more chips than the highest amount raised previously. Say “call” to stay in, or “raise” if you believe your card combination is stronger than the other player’s. You can fold if you don’t think your hand is strong enough to call or raise a bet, though this will cost you any chips that you’ve already put into the pot.