Poker is a card game in which players place bets to win a pot. There are many different games and variants, but the basic principles are the same for all. The object of the game is to make a high-ranking poker hand or to win the pot by making a bet that no other player calls. The game is usually played with chips, and each player starts by putting in an initial amount of money into the pot called an ante.
The game is played in rounds. Each round begins when a player puts in a certain number of chips into the pot and then acts according to his or her own assessment of the situation and strength of his or her hand. A player may choose to fold if the hand is weak, call by matching the bet of the person to his or her left, or raise the previous highest bet in the round (a “check-raise”).
If you have pocket kings and the flop comes AA-8-5, it’s probably time to fold. However, if you have a strong hand, betting at it will force weaker hands out of the game and raise the overall value of your poker hand. This is how professional poker players separate themselves from beginners.