Poker is a game that involves an element of luck, but it also requires a great deal of raw technical skill to minimize losses with poor hands and maximize winnings. The underlying goal of any Poker player is to find optimal frequencies and hand ranges, and then play those as frequently as possible to maximize the edge that their skills provide them over other players.

A poker game is typically played with chips that represent money (the amount varies by Poker variant). Each player must put an initial contribution, called an “ante,” into the pot before the cards are dealt. Then, each betting interval is started by one player placing a number of chips into the pot that is at least equal to or higher than the total contributions made in the previous betting interval by all players to his left.

Each player then has the choice of calling that bet, raising it, or dropping out of the betting. If a player drops out, he forfeits any chips he has contributed to the pot, and does not get to participate in the next betting interval.

If a player has a strong hand and wants to stay in the betting, they must call any raise. Otherwise, they must fold. A strong hand can include a Royal Flush, which is a 10, Jack, Queen, and King of the same suit, a Straight, which has 5 consecutive cards of the same rank, or 4 of a kind, which includes four cards of the same rank but different suits.