Poker is a card game of chance, and can have many variations. There are also rules that determine how a hand is scored and who wins the pot. Players must always play within the rules and etiquette of the game.

When you are dealt your cards you must place them in your hand with the highest card on top. You can then use the remaining cards to make a poker hand. This hand must be higher than any other on the table in order to win the pot. The other players’ hands will be revealed during the betting rounds.

To start a hand you must first make a forced bet, called an ante or blind bet, depending on the variant of poker. The dealer shuffles the cards and then deals each player a number of cards (this depends on the type of poker). Then the players bet into a central pot, typically clockwise order.

If you say “I open” you can raise the betting amount. You must match the previous player’s raise or fold if you do not want to bet more.

There are various poker hands that are ranked from high to low: Royal Flush (A, K, Q, J, 10 of the same suit); Straight Flush (five consecutive cards of the same suit); Four of a Kind (four cards of the same rank); Full House (3 matching cards and two pairs); Pair (two cards of the same rank). Position is important as you have more information than your opponents when it’s your turn to act.