A Beginner’s Guide to Poker

Poker is a card game in which players wager money on the relative value of their hands. It is a member of the family of vying games, which vary by the number of cards dealt, whether the hands are revealed, and how many rounds of betting take place.

Before the cards are dealt, each player must make an initial stake into the pot. These are called forced bets and they come in the form of antes or blinds. Players may also buy-in for a higher amount. During a round of betting, a player may choose to raise his bet or call it. If a player raises his bet and no one calls it, the player becomes the active player and can continue raising or calling until he is out of chips.

Each player is dealt two cards. When it is his turn, he can either put out chips equal to the amount raised by the last raiser (call) or put out double the amount of the current bet and raise the current bet (raise). If he cannot call or raise, he must fold.

A successful poker book will have a good mix of theory, strategy, and anecdotes. In addition, it will have top-notch writing skills. It will be able to describe the action with clarity, allowing the reader to visualize the scene. For example, the writer will be able to explain who flinched and who smiled. In this way, the story will be much more interesting than a list of card draws, bets and checks.