Poker is a card game played with a set of chips. Each player places these chips into a common pot called the “pot” before each round of betting begins. The pot is then raised when a player “raises.” It is also possible to make an all-in bet. There are special rules for this depending on the variant of poker being played.
Players are dealt 2 hole cards and then a round of betting takes place starting with the player to the left of the dealer. Once everyone has checked, the flop is dealt which means that 5 community cards are revealed and you will have 7 cards total to use in your best 5-card hand.
There is usually another betting interval after the flop, and then there is a showdown where each remaining player shows their hand face up. The player with the best poker hand wins the pot.
Poker teaches you how to evaluate your odds and make the best decisions with what you have. This is a useful skill in both life and work, as it helps you be more confident in situations that require risk-taking and weight your chances of winning to maximise profit. It is also helpful to know when to walk away, and this requires a good amount of self-awareness which is something that poker can help you develop. It is not uncommon to see a professional poker player suffer financial loss as a result of making bad decisions, but they are generally quick to learn from their mistakes.