The Basics of Poker
A game of poker involves betting and bluffing in order to win pots. The game is played with a standard deck of 52 cards, although some variant games add jokers and/or other rules. There are four suits but the rank of a card is not necessarily fixed (Ace high beats King high, for instance). A standard poker hand must consist of five cards and the highest winning hand wins.
In most poker variants the first player to the left of the dealer places a forced bet called the ante or blind. After this the dealer shuffles and deals each player two cards face down. If the dealer has blackjack (a pair of aces) then the pot goes to him and betting begins. If you think your hand is strong enough to win you should say stay and the dealer will give you another card. If you think your hand is weak and want to double up you should say hit and the dealer will give you a new card.
After the flop has been dealt and everyone is still in the hand the dealer puts three more cards on the table that are public to all players. These are called the community cards and they can be used by all players. A player can then raise his bet or fold based on the strength of his hand. This is the second betting round. There may be several rounds of betting in a poker game and the winning hands are determined at the end.