Poker is a card game in which players bet into a pot. The player with the highest hand wins the pot. The game has many variants and betting is done in intervals according to the specific rules of each game.

A typical hand consists of five cards. There are two kinds of hands, pair and three of a kind. A pair is made up of two cards of the same rank, and two other unmatched cards. A three of a kind is made up of three matching cards of one rank. A straight is 5 consecutive cards of the same suit. A flush is 5 cards of the same suit but not in sequence.

The first card to be dealt is called the flop and after everyone still in a hand calls it can then raise or fold. Then the dealer deals a third card that anyone can use, this is called the turn.

Poker is a game where the ability to read other players can give you a huge advantage. Reading other players is not just about subtle physical poker tells like scratching your nose or playing nervously with your chips, but more generally watching how they play each hand. For example a conservative player will be more likely to fold early in the hand and you can often bluff them into folding with a high bet. However an aggressive player will be more likely to bet early in the hand and can be difficult to read.