Poker is a card game played with a standard deck of 52 cards. There are four suits, and cards rank from highest (aces) to lowest (kings). Some variant games use wild cards or other special cards.
In poker, players place bets before being dealt their cards. They then take turns revealing their cards and betting. Players can choose to fold, call or raise. When a player calls, they must match the previous bet or raise it. A player can also pass on the bet and wait for a better hand later on in the round.
After each player places an initial bet, three cards are dealt face-up into the center of the table. These cards are called the flop and they become community cards that everyone uses to build their best 5-card hand. At this point, the first betting phase of a round begins with the player to the left of the dealer.
For example, if you have a pair of kings off the deal, you can check (pass on the bet), call (match the bet) or raise it if you have a strong hand.
While experience is the best teacher, you can also learn a lot from poker books and online resources. Many of these are written by poker professionals and provide insight into the strategy of the game. They may even help you improve your own game! A few recommended books include: