Poker is a card game in which players place bets to determine the winning hand. While luck plays a large part in the game, good players will use a combination of strategy and psychology to beat their opponents.
A game of poker requires a standard pack of 52 cards (some variant games may use multiple packs or add jokers). The cards are ranked in the following order: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, with the rank of each card determined by its suit. The highest pair wins. Some games allow players to discard 1, 2 or 3 of their cards in exchange for replacements from the deck, if they wish. These replacements are then shuffled and placed on the bottom of the draw stack.
Each player must make a bet before the dealer deals the cards. A bet can be raised at any time during the betting period, unless another player raises before you do. If you raise, other players may choose to call your new bet or fold. You may also choose to “hold pat” on the cards you have.
The game is most often played with poker chips. Each player buys in for a fixed number of chips at the beginning of the game, called “buying in.” A white chip is worth one minimum ante or bet; a red chip is worth five whites; and a blue chip is usually worth ten whites.
