Poker is a card game in which players bet chips or cash. It’s a game that involves a great deal of skill and psychology. It’s also a game in which any one player could win. The best way to learn how to play is to join a group of people who already know how to play (although this can be expensive). If you don’t have the money or time for a group, then try an online training course.

A good bankroll is essential to success in poker. It should be based on your personal financial situation and the stakes you plan to play. A larger bankroll allows you to survive variance and downswings without risking your entire poker funds.

During the hand, it’s important to understand how to read the board and your opponent’s betting patterns. This will help you make better decisions about when to call, raise, and fold.

You’ve dealt yourself a pair of kings off the flop, which aren’t bad but not great. The betting starts. Alex “checks” (calling when you don’t owe anything to the pot). Charley calls, and Dennis raises.

Then the flop comes: 7-6-2. You have the nuts! (The best possible hand at that moment.) The other 7 on the river makes it a straight, which isn’t the nuts anymore. Then it’s the one with the highest high card, which is J-8-5-3-2, all of hearts. High card breaks ties in all hands except four of a kind, full house, and flush.