How to Play Poker

Poker is a card game played between two or more players with chips (money to bet). Each player is dealt two cards and there are five community cards. Each player aims to make the best five-card hand using their own two cards and the community cards. The best hand wins the “pot” (all the chips bet so far). If a player does not want to bet, they say “call” or “raise.” A player can also say “fold” and discard their hand. Players can also pass on their turn to act (“check”).

To play a hand of poker, each player must ante something (amount varies by game, ours is usually a nickel). They then get dealt cards and begin betting into the pot. Betting is done in clockwise order, starting with the person to your left. The first person to bet can raise or call the next player’s bet. If a player calls, they must put the same amount of chips into the pot as the last player to bet.

The highest poker hand is the royal flush, consisting of a King, Queen, Jack, and Ace of one suit. Other high hands include four of a kind, and straight flushes. Some games allow players to use wild cards, which can take on any suit or rank.