Poker is a card game where players bet that they have the best hand. The value of a poker hand is determined in inverse proportion to its mathematical frequency: the rarer the combination, the higher the rank. Players can also bluff, making false bets that they have the highest hand in order to win a pot from players who do not call their bet.
The dealer is responsible for shuffling and taking bets from the other players, unless this function is split between the players. When it’s their turn to act they can say “call” if they wish to place a bet equal to the amount of the previous player, or “raise” in order to increase the amount that they bet.
When the cards are dealt they’ll be arranged in the center of the table and players will have to decide whether to call or fold their hands. Players with the strongest hands will raise, and the players that have weaker hands will fold.
There are several different types of poker games, and the rules of each vary slightly. However, all poker games share some common characteristics: