Poker is a card game played by two or more players. The rules are simple: a complete hand of cards is dealt to each player and betting continues in a series of rounds until one player has the highest ranked hand or all other players fold. The winner of the hand takes all the chips that have been bet during that round, called the pot.

There are many different variations of poker, but the most popular ones are cash games and tournaments. In a cash game, the players place an initial amount of money into the pot before the cards are dealt (these are called blinds or bring-ins). Players may also choose to “check,” meaning that they will pass on their turn to act in the hand and wait for the action to come back around to them.

If all other players fold during a betting street, the player who has the highest ranked hand wins the pot. If more than one player remains active after the final betting street (the river), a showdown is held where the hands are revealed and the winner is declared.

In writing about poker, it is important to provide details that make the scene feel real. A description of a sequence of cards, bets and reveals is not very interesting to read, so focus your attention on the other players and their reactions to the cards that are played. Try to include specific examples of this type of interaction (who flinched, who smiled etc). Also consider incorporating the elements of plot conflict that Just mentions: if a player’s odds for a high-ranked hand are rapidly diminishing, they should consider folding rather than digging themselves into a deeper hole.