Poker is a card game played between two or more players. The highest-ranking hand wins. Each player has five cards: two personal cards held in their hand and three community cards placed on the table (called the flop). The players may exchange any or all of their cards in order to improve their hand, or they can choose to fold. The game can be very tense and dramatic as the players bet, raise, check and reveal their cards.
The game was brought to England from America in the early 19th century. It is usually credited to General Schenck who, while visiting the country home of an American expatriate in Somerset, was prevailed upon by her guests to teach them the rules of this peculiarly American game.
A high-ranking poker hand is made up of four cards of the same rank. If more than one hand has four of a kind, the hand with the higher card wins (five kings beats five queens, for example). There are also several other combinations of cards that are referred to as a poker hand: straight, flush and three of a kind.
Observing experienced players is an excellent way to learn the game. Pay attention to their betting patterns and the size of their chip stacks. Also note their tells – unconscious habits that reveal information about their hand. These can be as simple as a change in posture or as complex as a gesture.