Poker is a game that requires a combination of luck, strategy and the right mindset to win. In most games players must ‘ante’ some amount of money (amount varies by game) to be dealt cards and then place bets into the pot in the center of the table before the hand begins. The highest hand wins the pot.
Betting is done in clockwise order and you say ‘call’ to match the previous player’s bet or raise it. You can also say ‘fold’ to give up on the hand and not put any more money into the pot.
Once the betting is complete the dealer deals three community cards face up on the board called the flop. Now everyone has a chance to make their best five card poker hand with their two personal cards and the five community cards on the table.
A Straight is 5 cards in consecutive rank that are not all the same suit, such as 4-5-6-7-8. Straights can have a high or low kicker. High hands usually beat low hands.
A Flush is 5 cards of the same suit, such as hearts, diamonds or clubs. The higher the flush, the better. A Pair is two matching cards of the same rank, such as kings or queens. Two unmatched cards are called a singleton. In the event of a tie, the highest pair wins. If you bluff well and have good luck, you can win the hand with an inferior hand.