How to Play Poker

The game of poker is played with cards and chips. Players buy in with a fixed amount of chips before the game begins. The dealer positions and a button indicate who has the deal. Each player must then post either the small or big blind before they can be dealt in to a hand.

When it’s your turn to act, you can say “call” or “I call” if you want to make a bet equal to the last one. If the person before you raised their bet, you can say “raise” or “I raise” to put in more chips. If you don’t want to call, you can fold your hand.

After each betting round, the dealer puts a fifth card on the board that everyone can use (called the river). The best five-card poker hand wins.

Learn how to read the cards and understand what makes a good poker hand. The more you practice, the better you’ll become. But be careful not to get stuck in a groove; every spot is different. You can also improve by observing more experienced players and thinking about how you would react in their position. This will help you develop quick instincts. You can also watch video poker games on sites like YouTube to see how the pros do it.