Poker is a card game where players wager money on the probability of making a winning hand. The game is a mixture of luck, psychology and skill. There are many different variations of the game, but they all have certain essential features. The main goal is to win the pot, which is the total amount of chips bet by all players who remain in the hand. Players may raise the bet by a certain amount, or “call” (put in the same number of chips as the player before them). If a player does not want to call, they can “drop” or “fold,” and will no longer compete for the pot.
After the first round of betting, the dealer deals 3 cards face up on the table that everyone can use, this is called the flop. Then another round of betting starts, with the player to the left of the button starting it. Once the betting is done, the dealer will deal 1 more card face up on the table that everyone can use, known as the turn.
Position is important, especially when it comes to the flop. You will want to be in position to be able to act last after the flop and force the players with weak hands out of the hand. Then you can bet more on your strong hands, like a full house or straight, knowing that most people will fold against them. For more info on this read our guide on The Importance of Position in Poker.