The game of poker is played by 2 or more players and involves betting money into a pot. The player who has the highest ranked hand when the cards are shown wins the pot. There are several different variations of poker and some have more rules than others, but most share some common elements.
Each player starts with two cards that are kept face down. The first round of betting starts with the two players to the left of the dealer. These bets are known as blinds and are mandatory to give players an incentive to play.
Three more cards are then dealt face up, in a sequence known as the flop. There is another round of betting, with the player to the left of the dealer acting first. A fifth card is then dealt face up, which is called the river. There is one final round of betting and the player with the best five card poker hand wins the pot (all the bets that have been made in that particular hand).
While luck is an important element of poker, skill will almost eliminate it over time. This means that there are certain hands that are more likely to win than others – for example, a pair of 5s is very difficult for people to conceal, so they will often call your bets with weak hands. The goal of the game is to force these players out of the hand by raising bets when you have a strong hand.