The Basics of Poker

Poker

Poker is a card game which is played in various forms around the world. It is particularly popular in the United States, where it originated.

The rules of Poker are quite simple and the basic principle is that the players must match a bet, raise a bet or call a bet. The winner of the game is the player who makes the best five-card hand.

To begin, a player is dealt a hand from a shuffled deck of cards. The initial dealer shuffles the deck and passes it to the next player in turn clockwise.

When the first round of betting has been completed, the dealer deals three face-up community cards to all players. These cards are called the flop and everyone gets a chance to bet/check/raise/fold.

After the flop has been dealt, the dealer deals another community card to all players. This card is called the turn and once again everyone gets a chance to bet/check/raise/fold.

A fourth card is dealt to the board which is known as the river. This is the final betting round and for the final time, all players get a chance to bet/check/raise/fold.

The final betting round is called the showdown and the player who makes the best five-card poker hand wins the pot. The showdown continues until someone calls or all the chips are in the middle of the table.