Poker is a card game that involves betting and evaluating the strength of your hand against those of your opponents. It’s an art and a science, and knowing when to check, raise, call or fold is a huge part of being successful.
Each player has chips (representing money to bet with) and is dealt two cards. Five community cards are then revealed, and you aim to make the best 5-card “hand” with your two personal cards and the community cards. If you bet and all your opponents fold, you win the pot (all of the chips that have been placed into the pot thus far).
The first round of betting is usually triggered by 2 mandatory bets called blinds put in by the players to the left of the dealer. This is done to create a pot of chips for people to compete for and to give the players an incentive to play their hands.
After the flop is dealt, there is another round of betting. You can say, “I’m calling” to match a previous player’s bet or “I’m raising” to increase the amount you are betting.
It’s important to remember that your opponent’s range after the flop is heavily weighted toward hands with no showdown value. This makes it even more important to be aggressive and to keep betting.