Poker is a game that requires skill, smarts and mental toughness. It’s also a numbers game, with the highest hand typically winning.

The basic rules of poker are simple: Each player buys in to a game by purchasing a certain number of chips. These can be white or colored and have a value depending on the minimum ante or bet they pay for each game.

In the first stage, called the flop, each player gets two cards. Everyone at the table gets a chance to check or bet.

After the flop, players get another card, which is called the turn. After the turn, each player gets a final card on the board called the river.

At this point, each player gets a chance to bet/check/raise/fold. If no player calls, the hand ends.

The best hand in a poker game is a Royal Flush. This hand includes a 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace of the same suit (clubs, diamonds, hearts or spades).

Other hands are Four of a Kind, Straight, Full House, Flash, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair and a High Card.

In order to win a poker game you need to know how to read your opponents. This can be done by paying attention to their betting patterns and how aggressive they are.