Poker is a card game in which players bet money into a pot before seeing their cards. This creates an incentive for players to participate and is a key element of the game. The player with the highest ranked hand at the end of a hand wins the pot.
To begin with, players must ante something (the amount varies by game and usually starts at about a nickel). After this there is a round of betting which begins with the two players to the left of the dealer. Then, each player receives 2 cards face down and a third is dealt face up. There is then a further round of betting with the player who has the strongest hand showing their cards first winning the pot.
The strongest hands in poker are a Straight, Flush and Three of a Kind. A Straight is five consecutive cards of the same rank, such as Ace, King, Queen, Jack and 5. A flush is 5 matching cards in sequence but from different suits, such as two aces and three sevens. A three of a kind is three cards of the same rank, such as three jacks or three sixes. A pair is two distinct cards of the same rank and high card breaks ties.
A good poker player should be able to read their opponent, picking up on their tells such as eye movements, idiosyncrasies, hand gestures and betting behavior. This way they can make an educated guess as to what their opponent may be holding and then make a decision accordingly.