Poker is a game of chance, but it also involves considerable skill and psychology. In addition to understanding the rules of the game, you should also learn how to read other players and watch for tells. A tell can be as subtle as fiddling with a chip or as obvious as an aggressive betting style. Over time, you’ll begin to understand which players are prone to certain types of play and can use this knowledge to your advantage.
The first player to act during a hand is known as the opener and has the option to check, call, or raise. If he chooses to call, he must place chips into the pot equal to or greater than the total amount placed in by all players before him. If he raises, he must increase the previous amount by at least one unit, which is called a raise. A raise can be increased further, which is known as a re-raise.
The player with the best hand wins the pot. A high hand contains a pair of cards with the same rank, two pairs, or three of a kind. A straight contains five cards that are consecutive in rank but from different suits, and a flush includes any combination of four cards of the same suit. A full house beats any of the above hands. If there is a tie, the highest card breaks the tie. Ties can also occur between multiple players or against the dealer.
