Poker is a card game that involves betting and the formation of hands. The highest hand wins the pot. The cards are dealt face down to each player. There is a round of betting after each hand. Players can then decide to fold, call or raise.
When a player has two cards of the same rank and three unrelated side cards, they form a pair. The value of the pair is determined by its ranking (aces high, kings high, queens high, etc.). If no pair is formed, then the highest single card wins (ace high).
Some variations of poker require blind bets to be made before each player receives their cards. These bets can either replace the ante or be in addition to it. They are made by the 2 players to the left of the dealer.
Once the flop is dealt there will be another round of betting. The dealer then puts a third card on the table that everyone can use, this is called the turn.
The final betting phase is the showdown. The player with the best five-card poker hand wins the pot.
The first step towards becoming a better poker player is to focus on one concept at a time. Too many players try to learn everything all at once and end up never mastering anything well. Watching poker videos, reading articles and listening to podcasts are all great ways to expand your knowledge of the game but focus on just ONE topic at a time.