How to Play Poker
In Poker, you can win by getting a winning hand. When you have 5 cards of the same rank, you have a straight. This may be an ace high or low, but does not wrap around. If two straights tie, the highest one wins. For example, AKQJT beats KQJT9 down to 5432A. Three of a kind is two pairs of cards of the same rank, or two pairs of different ranks plus three unmatched cards.
Before the cards are dealt, the players put up blinds. Blinds are usually placed on the table in the form of chips and rotate from player to player. The next step is to call or raise, which indicates that the player is willing to match the amount raised by another player. If a player does not wish to raise, he/she must check the blinds and move on to the next round. Similarly, a player who raises a hand can call or check a bet placed on the table.
If your opponent has a monster hand, it’s often better to check rather than raise. You don’t want to make your opponent think that you are chasing a pair. Similarly, if your opponent has a monster hand, don’t let the threat of a straight fool you. Though tricking them may work in poker, it can also backfire. You’ll lose big pots if you don’t play smart.