Poker is a card game played by two or more players and involves betting. The aim is to make a winning hand using your two personal cards and the five community cards on the table. Minimizing losses with poor hands and maximizing wins with good ones is the underlying skill that Poker requires.
Before the cards are dealt, the player to their right usually puts in an initial contribution, known as an ante or blind bet. The dealer then shuffles the cards and deals them out to each player one at a time, starting with the player on their left. The cards may be dealt face up or down, depending on the variant of Poker being played.
After each player has called a bet or dropped (folded), the first of several betting intervals commences. At the end of each betting interval, all players who are still in the hand show their cards and the highest hand takes the pot.
It is important to play in position, as this will give you more information and control over the size of the pot. It is also important to be able to read the other players at your table, particularly their betting patterns. Players who are listening to music, watching TV or reading on their phones will be missing a lot of information that could improve their poker game. It is also a good idea to play a few hands of bluffing to develop quick instincts.