Poker is a card game that involves betting between players and has hundreds of different variations. Most of them are played with chips, and each chip is worth a different amount. A white chip, for example, is usually worth the minimum ante or bet; a red chip may be worth a higher amount (five whites) or a lower one (ten whites).
At the start of each hand all the players have to buy in for some initial money. This is called a pot and it gives everyone an incentive to play the game.
Once each player has their 2 hole cards they act in a round of betting. Each player acts in turn starting with the player to their left. Depending on the rules, there are often mandatory bets called blinds that all players must put into the pot.
After the first round of betting is completed the dealer deals three additional cards face up on the table. These are community cards that anyone can use. This is known as the flop. After this another round of betting begins.
The aim of the game is to have a high ranked 5-card poker hand that wins all the money in the pot. Generally speaking the best hands are suited ones and straights, however, it’s also possible to win with a flush or even a full house. If you can read your opponents you can make bets that force weaker hands out of the game and increase your chances of winning the pot. This type of reading doesn’t come from subtle physical poker tells but instead from patterns in your opponent’s betting and raising.