Poker is a card game that involves betting over a series of rounds. It is a game of chance but with the addition of betting, it becomes a game of skill and psychology. The best way to learn poker is to play with a group of friends who already know how to play. They can teach you the rules and show you how to bet. They can also play with you while you learn the game so that you can practice your skills without risking any money.
In most poker games, players place forced bets before they see their cards. This creates a pot immediately and encourages competition. There are a number of different poker variations but in all of them, the basic game is dealt cards and betting over a series of rounds with the winner being the last player left or the person who wins a showdown.
Once the dealer has shuffled and the players have placed their forced bets, they are dealt two cards each. If they have a good hand, they can say “call” and put in more money for the next round or they can say “raise” to add more money to the betting pool.
The best hands in poker are a pair of distinct cards, a flush, a straight or a three of a kind. If a hand does not qualify as one of these, the highest card breaks the tie. This is the same logic that is used in a lot of games like blackjack, where ties go to the highest card.