The Basics of Poker

Poker is a card game where players compete to make the best hand. It is played with a standard deck of 52 cards (some games add jokers as wild). The highest-ranked card wins. A standard pack of cards contains four suits: spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs.

Players must place bets (representing money) into the pot before they receive their cards. The player to the left of the dealer makes the first bet, and then each player may call, raise or check his or her turn. In most games, each raise must be equal to or higher than the previous bet.

In poker, the highest-ranking hand is called a royal flush. This is a combination of a 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace of the same suit. Other high hands include four of a kind (3 matching cards of the same rank) and a straight (5 consecutive cards of the same rank). High cards break ties.

Tournaments are a delicate balancing act between survival and chip accumulation. While it is important to avoid getting caught up in the heat of battle, you also have to take risks to accumulate your chips as quickly as possible. In the long run, aggression can win tournaments, but you must be careful not to overplay your hand and get caught by a big stack. This is why it’s important to identify weak players and exploit their weakness pre-flop. Look for players that are tightening up – these are good targets to steal blinds and orphaned pots from them.