Poker is a card game played by two or more players. The goal is to form a best five-card hand, which wins the pot at the end of each betting round. The pot is the sum of all bets placed by all players during a hand. Players place money into the pot voluntarily if they believe the bet has a positive expected value or for various strategic reasons. The game has a significant element of luck, but skill can over time offset that variance and make the game more profitable.
In addition to learning the rules of poker, it is also helpful to understand the math behind the game. By memorizing and internalizing the key poker formulas, you can improve your decision making at the table. This workbook will help you do just that!
There are several different variations of poker, but all share a few common elements. The game is played with cards that are dealt face up to the players and placed in front of them. Each player has a turn to either check (ask for no more cards) or call any bet. Players may also fold their cards at any point in the hand.
The first round of betting starts with the player to the left of the dealer, called the button. The button moves one position clockwise after each hand. Before any cards are dealt, the player to the left of the button must put up a small amount of money, which is called the blind.