Poker is played from a standard pack of 52 cards, and some games add wild cards. The cards are ranked high to low: Ace, King, Queen, Jack and 10. There are four suits: spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs. A flush contains five consecutive cards of the same suit, such as 5-6-7-8-9. A straight is 5 cards in order, but the ace may skip a rank or be a different color (for example K-A-2-3-4). Three of a kind is three cards of the same rank and two unrelated cards. Pair is two cards of the same rank and an unrelated card. The highest hand wins. Ties are broken by looking at the highest pair, then the highest three of a kind, and so on.
Beginner players often think about their hands individually and try to play against a specific opponent’s style. This can lead to mistakes, especially when the player is bluffing. Instead, more advanced players consider a range of hands and play against the overall odds of each.
To play poker you need to understand the betting rules. Generally speaking, players place an ante at the start of each round and then bet one another as the game progresses. If a player has a strong hand, they can choose to raise their bet. When you raise, the other players can choose to call or fold. It’s important to be clear on how much you are betting and not confuse your fellow players by obscuring the amount of chips in your stack.