Poker is a card game in which players place chips (representing money) into a pot in order to make a hand. Players can also bluff during the hand for various strategic reasons. While the outcome of any individual hand involves some degree of luck, most poker plays are determined by decisions made on the basis of probability, psychology and game theory.
A player can raise, call or fold his or her cards during the course of a hand. Each player must bet at least as much as the previous player in order to remain in the hand. The first player to raise can only do so if he or she has a good hand himself.
When you have a bad hand, it is better to fold than to try and improve it with weak calls. This will prevent you from wasting your money and it will also save you the frustration of watching someone else beat you with a pair of Kings!
During a hand, the cards are dealt clockwise around the table. The person to the left of the dealer cuts the cards after they are shuffled. Typically, two decks with different back colors are used. Poker can be played by between two and seven people, although six or more is optimal. It is also customary for one player to take the dealer position for each hand. This is known as the button.
