Poker is a card game of skill and chance. The twin elements of chance and skill require that players choose their actions based upon probability, psychology and game theory. Over time the application of skill will virtually eliminate the variance of luck.

Each player antes some amount (varies by game) and is then dealt two cards face down. These are called your hole cards. The first player to act places a bet into the pot (representing money) based upon the ranking of his hand. The other players may call, raise or fold. The player with the highest hand at the end of all betting intervals wins the pot.

After the first round of betting, one more card is dealt face up. This is known as the turn. Then a final round of betting takes place, again starting with the player to the dealer’s left. The player with the highest five-card poker hand wins the pot.

For example, if the person to your left raises a bet and you have a pair of sixes, you can call (match) the raise by saying “call.” This means you want to make a bet equal to the last player’s bet. You can also say “raise” to increase the amount of your bet. The player to your left has the right to reject your call or raise if they think your bet is not correct. Then they can fold or raise their bet again.