Poker is a card game played between 2 or more players and involves betting. It is a game of chance, but it also requires some strategic thinking and psychology (especially when money is involved). There are a number of ways to learn poker. Some of them include reading books, practicing with friends, or joining a group training course. However, the most important thing to remember when learning poker is to be patient and not expect to become an expert overnight.
After the cards are dealt, there is a round of betting starting with the player to the left of the button. The player can choose to call the existing bet, raise the current bet, or push their cards to the dealer face down without putting any chips in (fold).
Each player must have 2 cards that are facing up in order to place a bet. Once all the players have called a bet, 1 more card will be dealt to everyone. This is called the flop.
After the flop, there is another round of betting. The player can call the existing bet, raise the current raise, or fold their cards. The player with the highest 5 card hand wins. Hands are categorized into categories of strength: A flush contains 5 consecutive cards of the same suit. A full house is made of 3 matching cards of one rank and two matching cards of another rank. A straight is made up of five cards that skip around in rank but are all from the same suit.