Poker is a card game where players wager chips in a single round. Each player begins with a set number of chips, usually in denominations such as white, red and blue. Each chip represents a certain amount of money, with a white chip being worth one ante or bet; a red chip is worth five whites; and a blue chip is worth 10 whites.

Once each player has a set number of chips they can decide to “check” (call if they don’t want to raise) or “raise” (match a previous player’s bet). In Pot Limit poker, players are also restricted by the size of the current pot when making decisions.

The dealer deals two cards to each player face down. Each player then looks at their cards and tries to beat the card in the middle. This could be a high card, pair, straight, flush or even a full house.

In a real-life poker game, the player to the left of the dealer acts first, then everyone else in turn. Each player has the same options, but in practice some players may “check” more often than others.

Learning to read other players is a key part of improving your poker game. This doesn’t just mean picking up subtle physical tells such as scratching your nose or nervously playing with your chips; it means paying attention to patterns. If you notice that a player tends to fold when they have a strong hand, you might think twice about calling their bets.