Poker is a card game in which players place bets and compete for a prize, called the pot, by having the highest-ranking hand at the end of a betting interval. Each player has two personal cards and five community cards to use to create their best Poker hand. Depending on the specific Poker variant being played, players may also draw replacement cards for those in their hand during or after the betting interval.
The basic rules of poker are that each player has a turn to call, raise or fold. When a player calls, he must place into the pot the same number of chips as the previous player or more. If a player does not wish to participate in a round of betting, he can “drop” by discarding his hand and leaving the table.
Position is Important
When playing poker, your position at the table will determine how often you play certain hands. The closer to the dealer, the tighter you should play. Players in EP (early position) should be extremely tight and only open with strong hands. Similarly, MP (middle position) players should be a little looser but should still only play strong hands. Players in late position, on the other hand, should be much looser and open with all but the most marginal hands. This gives them “bluff equity” and can make it easier to win the pot in the long run. Keep in mind, though, that luck will always factor into the outcome of any particular hand.