The Basics of Poker

The game of poker is a card game where players compete to create the best hand. The highest hand wins the pot. Typical hands include the royal flush, straight, three of a kind, four of a kind, full house, and two pair. The game is played by sitting around a table with a group of people and betting in turns. Players may also play against the computer.

The best players use a combination of skill and logic to make decisions in the game. They are patient and have a good understanding of probability and statistics. They can read other players’ tells, such as eye movements, idiosyncrasies, betting behavior, and hand gestures. These reading skills help them to predict their opponents’ range of hands in a given situation.

In poker, players have to pay attention to the game etiquette as well as the rules. For example, if a player splashes the pot on every bet and raises every time they have a good hand, then other players may get upset by this behavior. This can ruin the game for everyone.

The dealer is responsible for distributing the chips that have been bet into the main pot and side pots after each round of betting. The dealer can also answer any questions that the players have about the total amount of money in the pot.