Poker is a card game where players aim to win the pot by having the highest ranked hand of cards at the end of a betting round. The player with the highest ranked hand wins all of the chips that have been placed in the pot during that round.

When playing poker you need to be comfortable taking risks. This can be a bit tricky to master especially when you are learning, but the best way to improve is by practice and observation. Watching experienced players and imagining how you would react to their actions will help you develop your own instincts.

Each player has one or more ‘turns’ to bet during each hand. When your turn comes you can either make a bet (putting chips into the pot) or call any existing bets to stay in the hand. You can also raise a previous player’s raise to increase the bet amount. If you don’t want to bet you can check to let the other players decide whether to stay in the hand.

When all players have acted on their hands the dealer places another card in the center of the table, called the flop. You now have more information on which card is the strongest in your hand and can make a better value bet. A full house is three matching cards of the same rank, a flush is 5 consecutive cards of the same suit, and a straight is five cards in order but from different suits.