Regardless of whether you’re playing poker with friends or with a professional, there are a few basic rules that you’ll need to follow. These rules can help you win more often and can also improve your game.
The first thing you’ll need to do is place chips in the pot. Each player should place the same number of chips in the pot as the last player to call.
When you’re ready to make your bet, you can either check, call, or raise. If you’re calling, you’ll need to put the same amount of chips into the pot as the player to your left. If you’re raising, you can bet up to 14 chips.
Once you’ve made your bet, you’ll have to wait for the rest of the players to call or fold. If nobody calls or folds, you’ll win the pot. If you’re folding, you’ll have to discard your hand and lose any chips in the pot.
When you’re ready to bet again, you can bet as much as the previous player. You can also bet into the pot as a forced bet. These can be ante or blind bets.
The highest hand wins the pot. If you don’t have the best hand, you may win by bluffing. You can win with a pair of aces, three of a kind, or a straight.
You’ll also want to establish a “kitty”. The kitty is a special fund that is divided among all players. You can use the kitty to buy new decks of cards.