Poker is a card game in which players try to make the best hand possible from their cards. There are hundreds of different variations of the game, but all have some basic rules.
The Deal:
In most games, each player is dealt a hand of cards face down. This is followed by one or more betting intervals and a showdown. The winning hand is the one that creates the highest score.
The Pot:
The pot is the total of all the money in the game, including both bets and raises. It is won either by having the highest poker hand or by making a bet that no other player calls.
A raise is an increase in the amount of a previous bet or a call. It is usually a higher amount than the initial bet and must be no more than the number of chips that have been put in the pot at the time of the raise.
Raise Limits:
In fixed-limit games, the limit is usually twice the amount of the big blind (the minimum bet allowed). In pot-limit games, the limit is generally the same as the big blind.
The Blind and Ante:
In a standard poker game, each player is required to contribute a small amount of money, called the blind or ante, before the hand begins. This helps the pot to have a value right off the bat.