Poker is a card game played by two or more people. Each player puts a small amount of money, called an ante, into the pot before they are dealt cards. Some variations of the game also require a blind bet before each betting round.

After the antes have been put into the pot, each player has a chance to call or raise the bets made by those before them. If they choose to raise a bet, they must make a bet equal to or higher than the previous player’s bet. If they are not willing to do this, they are said to “drop” their hand and cannot compete for the pot of chips.

The dealer then deals three cards face up on the table, called the flop. These are community cards that anyone can use to form a poker hand. There are a number of different poker hands that can be formed with these cards, and the first one to be formed wins. If no one has a pair or better, the highest card breaks the tie.

Let’s say you are dealt a pair of kings off the deal. These are decent cards but if an ace comes on the flop you should be very wary about continuing to the showdown with your hand. This is because the ace will likely cause your opponents to bet big, and they might even have a full house. Then you will be crushed.