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The Basics of Poker

The Basics of Poker

Poker

Poker is a family of card games played around the world. The rules vary from country to country, but most of them involve one or more rounds of betting before the hand is resolved.

Strategy

Optimal poker strategy is a set of decisions that maximizes the probability of winning a pot while minimizing the risk of losing it. It is not necessarily a matter of being the most skilled player or having the best cards, as many people believe.

The most important strategy is to bet large, both with your very best hands and with some definable percentage of your very worst hands. This is not just a good idea, it is the only way to win any large amount of money in poker.

Maintaining your poker face

It is very important to keep your poker face on at all times when you are playing poker. This is especially important when you are up against a strong opponent.

Your poker face should consist of: staying straight, avoiding eye contact with the opponent, and not shaking or making any deviations from your natural stance. Some players may try to talk you out of your poker face, but it is crucial that you maintain it.

High card breaks ties

There are several high cards in the deck, each of which has a different rank and can break ties when two or more hands have the same number of cards. The highest card wins when both hands have a pair, for example, and the second highest card wins when both hands have a flush.