Poker is a card game played between a group of players. The aim is to have the highest ranked poker hand when the cards are shown at the end of the betting round. The player with the highest ranked hand wins the pot, which is all the money that has been bet during the hand.

After the initial forced bets (ante or blind) have been placed, the dealer shuffles the deck, deals each player 2 hole cards face down and then a third card, called the flop is dealt face up on the table. A second betting round then takes place. The dealer then puts a fourth community card on the board that any player can use, known as the turn. A final betting round then takes place before the showdown where each player shows their hand.

The best poker hands are high pairs, three of a kind, straights and flushes. One pair is two cards of the same rank, three of a kind is three distinct cards of the same rank and a straight is five consecutive cards of the same suit such as Ace, King, 8, 6, 5, etc. A high card is used to break ties.

The best poker strategy involves learning how to assess your opponents, their position, your own cards and the board in order to make good decisions about whether to call, raise or fold. It also involves knowing the unwritten rules of etiquette that all players follow.