The game of poker is primarily a game of chance, but there is quite a bit of skill and psychology involved as well. Players may bet that they have a good hand or not, and if other players call the bet the player with the best 5 card poker hand wins. Some players even bluff, betting that they have the best hand when they don’t (though this is generally considered bad form).
The player to the immediate left of the button posts the small blind, and the player to their left must post the big blind. Once the players have placed their bets they are dealt cards. The dealer then deals three cards face up on the table, which are community cards anyone can use (called the flop). After this betting round is complete the dealer puts another card on the table that everyone can use (called the turn).
When playing poker it’s important to pay attention to what other players have in their hands. This allows you to narrow down their possible hands, and to make better decisions about whether to stay in the hand or fold. For example, if a player checks after seeing the flop of A-2-6, you know that they likely have a pair of twos in their hand.
Another important thing to remember is that suits don’t matter in poker, only the rank of each card. This means that a high straight beats a low one, and that three of a kind beats two pair, and so on.