Poker is a card game played with a standard deck of 52 cards that include the four suits of spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs. It is a game that requires skill and strategy to win. There are many different variations of poker that can be played. It is important to understand the rules and rankings of a hand before you play.

Players begin the game with 2 hole cards and place mandatory bets called blind bets into a pot. The dealer then shuffles and deals the cards one at a time to each player, beginning with the player on their left. After each round of betting, an additional card is dealt to the table, known as the flop.

After the flop, there is another round of betting that starts with the player to the left of the dealer. Players may add to their bet or raise it depending on the situation and their individual strategy.

A winning hand includes at least 3 matching cards of one rank and 2 matching cards of another. It can also include a straight or flush. A straight is 5 cards of consecutive rank that can include more than one suit and a flush is 4 of the same kind (like four aces) plus an unmatched card.

There are two basic strategies to winning poker – maximize your winning hands and minimize your losing ones. A good starting range for your opening hands is tight-conservative, with the occasional bluff.