Poker is a card game played by two or more players. It is a fast-paced game in which the players try to minimize their losses with poor hands and maximize their winnings with good ones. It requires a lot of psychology and skill. There are several different variations of poker, some more complex than others. Some even include wild cards.
In a standard poker deck, there are 52 cards. A poker hand is determined by the highest combination of five cards. The rank of the cards is determined by their suit: spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs. The highest card is the ace. A royal flush is a combination of the five highest cards, including aces, queens and kings. Other combinations are a straight, four of a kind, three of a kind and pair.
Each player puts an initial contribution, called an ante, into the pot before the cards are dealt. Then each player can place a bet, called a call, raise or fold. If a player calls, the bet must be at least equal to the previous bet by another player. Players can also “check” if they don’t want to bet or don’t have a good hand.
The ante is usually a fixed amount, such as one or two chips. Then the dealer shuffles the remaining cards and deals them to the players. After the cards are dealt, the players can decide whether to call or check. If they don’t, they can choose to discard and draw new cards. If they do, the cards will be reshuffled and a new deal will begin.
A high card is any card with a higher value than the other players’ cards. A pair is two cards of the same rank, such as two sixes. A full house is 3 matching cards of one rank and 2 matching cards of another rank. A flush is 5 consecutive cards of the same suit (a straight that skips ranks or a sequence such as 5-6-7-8-9). Three of a kind is three cards of the same rank. A straight flush is five consecutive cards of the same suit (such as 5-6-2-3) or a sequence of the same rank (3-3-4-5) and two unmatched cards.
In writing scenes involving poker, it is important to pay attention to the action and not just describe the cards that are dealt. The characters’ reactions and by-play will be what makes the scene interesting. For example, a character revealing a bluff will be more memorable than just the fact that they folded. Unless the plot specifically calls for it, focus most of the description on the players and their reactions to the cards that are revealed. That way the reader will feel they are actually at the table.