Poker is a card game that requires a significant amount of skill to minimize losses with poor hands and maximize winnings with good ones. Whether playing in a casino, home game or tournament, there are certain rules that must be adhered to by all players. These rules are designed to provide consistency and make the game fair for everyone.
One player acts as the dealer (this is provided in a casino), and players to the right of him/her put forced bets into the pot, called blinds, before being dealt cards. Players may then bet on their hand. Some games require a small minimum bet, called the ante, to be paid in before being dealt cards, while others don’t have an ante at all.
Chips are used to represent poker money in cash games and tournaments, and they come in different colors that are assigned specific values. The values don’t necessarily correspond to real dollar amounts, but they allow for a system of keeping track of stack sizes and distributing chips more easily. For example, a light blue poker chip is usually worth $100,000 in casinos.
If a player verbally states that they are going to take a particular action, such as calling, raising, or folding, this is binding. This is because it makes it clear that they intend to play within their turn. If they fail to act within their turn, they are considered to have acted out of turn.