Poker is a card game in which players independently attempt to assemble the best possible hand of five cards. Traditionally, the goal is to win cash or poker chips. Players may also bluff, raising the stakes to scare away opponents who might have better hands.
The game is usually played with one standard 52-card pack (with one or two jokers). In clubs and among professional players, however, a second pack of contrasting colors is used in order to speed up play. When a deal is complete, the previous dealer assembles all of the cards in the hand he dealt, shuffles them and prepares them for the next deal. The shuffled deck is passed to the player on his left.
Each betting interval, or round, in poker begins when a player makes a bet of one or more chips. Every player in turn must either call that bet by putting the same amount of chips into the pot as the player before him or raise it. A player who is unwilling to do either of these things, or who cannot afford to raise a bet by the appropriate increment, must “drop” out of the pot, forfeiting any rights in it and leaving his rivals free to compete for it.
Many poker writers concentrate on describing the nuances of the game and its strategies, such as those employed by a professional player. This type of writing is a good way to engage millions of readers, as it provides a window into how a professional thinks and acts during a game. In addition, it is important to write about tells, the unconscious habits of a player that give information about his or her hand.