The Basics of Poker

Poker is a card game in which players place bets to control the value of their hands. The game is a blend of strategy, psychology and probability. While the outcome of any particular hand involves chance, a player’s long-term expected win rate is determined by their actions chosen based on probability, psychology and game theory.

After each player has a full set of cards they place an ante into the pot. Then the dealer deals each player two cards face down. Each player then has the choice of hitting (keeping) or folding. If they hit they will then bet and the highest hand wins.

Once the first round of betting is over the dealer puts three cards on the table that everyone can use, these are called the flop. After another round of betting the dealer puts one more card on the board that is common to all players, this is called the turn.

Keeping your opponents guessing about what you have is essential to becoming an elite poker player. A good poker player will have a number of different strategies that they can utilize to keep their opponents off guard.

Poker is a game of details and it’s important to study a few key concepts in depth. Too many players bounce around in their poker studies, watching a Cbet video on Monday then reading a 3bet article on Tuesday and a podcast about tilt management on Wednesday. Focusing on ONE concept in depth will allow you to understand it better and implement it more quickly into your game.