Poker is a card game with many variants, played by 2, 3, 4, or more players. During each betting interval, one player (designated by the rules of the variant being played) has the privilege or obligation to make the first bet and each other player must place chips into the pot equal to the total contribution made by the player before him. This contributes to the pot, or overall sum of bets, that may be won by the player with the highest-ranking hand.
If the player decides to raise, he puts more chips into the pot than his opponent. In this way he can either force the other players to call his bet or forfeit their hand. Players can also “fold,” or drop out of the pot, by turning their cards into the dealer. This allows the remaining players to win different side pots.
Some of these side pots can be large, generating millions in winnings. Other side pots can be very small. However, even a small pot is an incentive to take risks, and risk-taking is often the key to successful poker.
A player’s comfort level with risk-taking can be built over time by taking smaller risks in lower-stakes situations. This helps a player become more comfortable with risk-taking in higher-stakes situations. Another important skill in poker is being able to read tells. These are the unconscious habits of a player that reveal information about his or her hand. Examples of tells include eye contact, facial expressions, and body language.