There are dozens of different poker variants, but the basic game mechanic remains the same: Players put in chips (representing money) and then bet on their hand. The player with the best hand wins the pot. Players may also bluff, and with the right strategy and a little luck, even a weak hand can win the pot.
In most games, there are mandatory bets called blinds that players must place before being dealt cards. Each player is then dealt two cards that they keep hidden from the other players. After this, there is a round of betting, starting with the player to the left of the dealer.
Once the flop comes, there is another round of betting. If you have a strong hand like pocket fives on the flop, it is best to bet and force the weaker hands to fold.
One of the most important things to learn when you start playing poker is the ranking system for the different hands. This is a system that is used in most poker variants and it’s vital to know so you can spot the better hands from the bad ones. There are also a few other key factors that are used to evaluate hands, such as the size of a raise (the larger the raise, the tighter you should play and vice versa) and stack sizes (when short stacked, you should play fewer speculative hands and prioritize high card strength).