Poker is a card game in which players place bets based on the strength of their hand. Two cards, called hole cards, are dealt to each player and then five community cards are revealed in three stages known as the flop, turn, and river. Depending on the rules of the game, players may be able to replace their own cards with those from the community in order to improve their hand. A tell is an unconscious habit of a poker player that gives away information about his or her hand, such as body language or gestures.
Standard poker hands consist of one pair, two pairs, three of a kind, four of a kind, and straights. A flush consists of matching suits and beats any other hand, except a full house, which consists of three pairs and an ace. If no pair is present, the highest unmatched card wins.
Jenny Just, self-made billionaire and co-founder of PEAK6 Investments, says learning poker has taught her a lot about strategic thinking, risk management, and confidence. She advises young women to play poker as a way to build their comfort with risk-taking.
In each betting round, a player must either Check (pass on betting) or raise (add more chips to the pot than the player before him). A player who raises must call any subsequent raises in order to keep the round going. Otherwise, he can Fold his hand. A player may re-raise only once in the same betting round, and only when he or she has a better hand than his or her opponent.