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The Basics of Poker

Poker is a card game in which players place bets using chips. Several betting rounds take place, and at the end of the round the players reveal their hands. Whoever has the highest-ranking hand wins the pot—the total of all bets made during that round. There are many variations of poker, but most share the same basic rules.

The game begins when one or more players make forced bets, called an ante and a blind bet. The dealer then shuffles the cards and deals them to the players, starting with the player to their left. Depending on the variant of poker, the cards may be dealt face up or down.

When it’s your turn, you can choose to call, raise or fold. Saying “call” means you want to bet the same amount as the last person, while saying “raise” means you want to bet more than the last person did. If you’re unsure of your opponent’s range, it’s usually best to raise.

Top players tend to fast-play strong value hands, putting a lot of pressure on opponents to fold and creating a big pot. This is a key concept that you should focus on mastering if you want to improve your results at the table.