Whether you play poker at home with friends, in a bricks-and-mortar casino or online the game has some basic rules that every player must follow. The objective of poker is to make the best five-card hand in a betting round, or convince other players that you have the highest ranked hand even when you don’t. The key to making this happen is making other players fold (give up their cards). This will make it harder for them to call any raises that you make and can give you an edge in the final showdown.
Once all players have their two hole cards a round of betting takes place. This is triggered by the player to the left of the dealer placing two mandatory bets called blinds into the pot before any action is taken. The player then has the option to call, raise or fold.
After the first round of betting is completed three more cards are dealt face up on the table. These are known as community cards and everyone can use them to help their hands. Another round of betting then takes place.
When the final round of betting is complete and only one player remains in contention a showdown takes place where everyone’s cards are revealed and the highest ranked hand wins the pot of chips. The most common poker hand is the pair which consists of two distinct cards. The high card breaks ties if there are multiple people with pairs.