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The Basics of Poker

Poker is a card game in which players wager money on the outcome of a hand. The player with the highest-ranked cards wins the pot. Despite containing some strategic elements, the amount of skill required to win is low and the game is largely based on luck.

The name of the game derives from a French word poque, itself descended from German pochen (‘to knock’). The game is believed to share ancestry with the Renaissance games of primero and brelan, both of which featured bluffing.

Each player places an initial stake into the pot prior to being dealt their cards. These mandatory bets are called blinds. The pot is the total sum of all bets placed so far. The winner of the pot is awarded all the chips bet so far.

When a player looks at her cards, she may decide whether or not to call the current bet (‘call’) or raise it further (‘raise’). She must choose between these options and others depending on a number of factors such as how good her hand is and the state of the betting.

In addition to analyzing her own hand, she must also consider the range of hands that her opponent could be holding. This requires assessing her opponent’s tendencies and reading tells. A good poker player can learn to read her opponent well and determine how likely it is that she has a better or worse hand than hers.