In poker, players place chips (representing money) into a central pot during a hand. The player with the best five-card poker hand wins the pot. This process is repeated in one or more betting rounds, depending on the poker variant. While some of these rounds are purely random, most bets are made based on expected value calculations, psychology, and game theory.
During each poker hand one or more players make forced bets — often the ante and/or blind — before the cards are dealt. The dealer then shuffles the cards and deals them to the players, starting with the player to their left. Cards may be dealt face up or down, depending on the poker variant.
The first betting round in the poker hand begins after everyone checks their cards for blackjack and places their bets. Once all of the players are ready, they call, fold or double up. If you think your poker hand has low value, say hit me, if it’s a good hand you’d say stay and if it’s a bad hand you’d say fold.
After the first betting round the dealer puts three more cards on the table, which are community cards that anyone can use. This is called the flop.
If you hold a strong hand, like pocket kings, but the flop comes A-8-5, it’s probably time to fold. However, if you’re holding a weaker hand and the board has tons of flush and straight cards, it might be worth trying to force your opponent into a showdown with a bluff.