Poker is a card game in which players wager chips (representing money) on the outcome of a hand. The object is to win the pot, which is the total of all bets made in a single deal. Players may win the pot by having the highest-ranking poker hand when the hands are shown or by bluffing during the course of the hand.
The rules of poker vary slightly between variants, but the basic elements are the same. Players have two personal cards which they must use to form a five-card hand, along with the other five community cards on the table. Depending on the rules of the game, the player can also draw replacement cards at some point in the hand.
Each betting interval, or round, begins with one player, as designated by the rules of the variant being played, making a bet. Then each player to his left must either call that bet by putting into the pot the same number of chips as the previous player or raise it. If a player is unwilling to raise a bet, he must “drop” his hand and lose any chips that he had put into the pot previously.
Anecdotes and a strong sense of atmosphere are important in any good poker article, but focusing too much on the card draws, bets and checks will make the piece feel lame and gimmicky. Instead, focus most of your attention on the players’ reactions to the cards they are dealt. Who flinched, who smiled, who raised and who dropped are all good ways to build tension in your poker story.