Poker is a card game that involves betting. It is a game of skill but it also is a test and a window onto human nature.
In every hand the players start with a certain number of chips (representing money) that they ‘buy in’ for the game. Then each player places these chips into the pot in turn. When a player has the best poker hand, that person wins the entire pot.
Each player starts the hand by putting in a bet (the amount of money placed into the pot is called ‘the raise’). Then, once everyone has raised their bets, the dealer deals three cards face up on the table that everyone can use, this is called the flop. Once the flop is dealt, another round of betting begins.
After all of the betting is done, the dealer will place a fourth card on the table that everyone can use, this card is called the river. Another round of betting takes place and the player with the best five card poker hand wins the whole pot!
When it comes to poker, there are two emotions that can kill you: defiance and hope. Defiance is the desire to hold your ground when someone else throws their weight against you, but this can lead to disaster if you don’t have the hand. Hope is even worse-it’s the desire to keep throwing good money at a bad hand in the hopes that it will improve on the turn or river.