The Basics of Poker
Poker is a card game that involves betting over a series of rounds. The player with the best five-card poker hand wins the pot, which includes all bets made at each round. Although there are many different variations of poker, the core rules remain the same.
When playing poker you need to look beyond your own cards and think about what other players may have. This is called reading the table and it is a key part of your strategy. If the cards on the board suggest that another player has a good hand you should consider folding as it is unlikely that you will win.
Once everyone has two cards the dealer shuffles and then deals one at a time, beginning with the player to their left. If you don’t like your cards or believe they are too low in value you can say ‘hit me’ and the dealer will give you another card.
After the first round of betting is complete the dealer puts three community cards face up on the board which anyone can use (the flop). Then another round of betting takes place. When the last betting round is over the final cards are revealed (the river) and the player with the best five-card poker hand will win the pot.
Trying to learn too much at once can be overwhelming and cause you to miss out on valuable information. It is recommended to study just ONE topic per week. For example watch a cbet video on Monday, read an article about 3bet on Tuesday and then listen to a podcast about tilt management on Wednesday.