Poker is a card game played with money and involves a lot of strategy and psychology. There’s a fair amount of luck involved as well but the more you play the more your instincts improve.

A hand starts with each player putting in their chips (the amount varies by game, our games are typically a nickel) to get dealt cards. Players then bet into the middle, or pot, with the highest hand winning.

Once the betting interval is over there is a “showdown” where each player shows their cards and the best hand wins the pot. At this point a player may still make more bets or fold depending on their cards and how they’re positioned in the hand.

At this stage it’s okay to sit out a hand if you need to go to the bathroom, refill your drink or eat a snack, just don’t miss more than a couple hands or it becomes unfair for others to have to cover your absence. It’s also courteous to say “I’m going to sit this one out” before you do so, as it lets the people who remain know that you’re taking a break.

While playing poker it’s important to always be paying attention to what other players have. Over time you’ll start to develop an intuition for things like frequencies and EV estimation. Keeping these in mind will help you stay ahead of your opponents and make your poker game more profitable.