The Basics of Poker
Poker is a game of cards where players form hands based on card rankings and place bets to compete for the pot (all money that was placed in a round as buy-ins). It’s a fun and social game, but it can also be a great way to make some extra cash. To be a successful player, you need to have some key skills: patience and focus are essential, as well as good game selection (playing in games where you can make more money than you lose).
In a game of poker, the highest-ranking hand wins the pot at the end of the betting round. There can be a tie between the best five-card hands, in which case the pot is shared among the players who have them.
If a player wants to stay in the pot, they can say “call” to match the bet of the person to their left. They can also raise it if they want to increase the size of the bet. If they don’t want to call or raise, they can fold their hand.
Four of a kind consists of four cards of the same rank, such as 3