The Basics of Poker

Poker is a popular card game played with a standard deck of cards. It is a casino game that involves betting and is based on probability, psychology and game theory.

The game begins with each player receiving one card face down and one card face up. There are three rounds of dealing, each round distributing one card to each active player. After the last round of betting, a showdown occurs.

Each player must place a forced bet, called an ante or blind, before the cards are dealt. The first player to make this bet is called the “first bettor” and the ante is called “the pot.”

After each betting interval, players take turns making bets, which are placed on their hands in order of rank. These bets can be matched (or called) or folded.

A call is a bet that matches the amount of the most recent bet; it can also be raised. A raise is a bet that increases the previous high bet.

If a player folds in the middle of a hand, he loses all money he has bet that round. A player can also check, which is to stay in without betting, provided that no other players have made a bet during the current betting interval.

A pair is two distinct cards, a flush is all of the same suit, and a straight is five cards in a row. The highest possible natural hands are a pair of aces, a straight-flush, and a royal flush.