Poker is a card game played with money (called chips) and involves betting. The player with the best hand wins the pot. There are many different poker games, but they all have some similarities. For example, players must act in turn, and they can call a raise or fold. They can also pass on their turn if they don’t want to bet.
In some games the cards are dealt face up, but in others they’re flipped over and placed in a betting circle called the pot. The players then bet on their hands. Players can raise the bet or “call” it, which means they are matching the previous player’s bet. If they are raising it, they can continue to raise their bets until it’s their turn again.
Unlike most other casino games, poker is played with chips. Players trade in their cash for chips before the game begins and can swap those chips back for money at the end of a hand. When a dollar amount is mentioned in relation to a bet, it’s actually referring to the value of the chips.
Expert poker players know how to keep their cards a secret and hide their tells. Tells are unconscious, physical giveaways that reveal a player’s confidence level in their hand. They can include facial tics, staring too long at a card, biting their nails or rubbing their eyes. Some players will wear sunglasses or a hat to disguise their expressions.