In poker, you use the cards you are dealt to make the best five-card hand possible. The aim is to win the pot (the total amount of chips bet in a round) by either raising your hand high enough or convincing the other players that you have the best hand. The game has many different variants, but each one shares a few common themes.
Each round of poker begins with two people putting in blind bets – known as the small and large blinds – to create a pot and encourage competition. The dealer then deals the starting hands to each player, which vary depending on the poker type. You then have seven cards to work with: the two in your hand plus the five community cards on the table.
Once everyone has their starting hands, betting starts with the player to the left of the Button. Players may check – that is, pass up the chance to bet that round – or say ’call’ to match the highest bet made so far. If you have a good value hand, you can also say ‘hit’ to ask for another card and increase your chances of winning.
Many new players try to outwit their opponents by slowplaying their strong value hands or bluffing, but this usually ends up costing them money. Instead, a much better strategy is to play tight and aggressively. That means raising your bets often when you think that your hand is ahead of your opponent’s calling range, and folding when yours isn’t.