Poker is a card game in which the players do not know their opponents’ cards. They each have a set amount of chips to bet, called a pot. Players aim to make the best 5 card hand with their own 2 cards and the community cards. They bet in rounds with each player having the opportunity to raise their bet or fold. This process ends with Showdown, where all players reveal their hands and the player with the strongest hand wins.

In poker, the first few rounds are often spent ‘feeling out’ the other players. Then, the action gets a little more intense with bets increasing and players bluffing more frequently.

A round of betting starts once all players have received their two hole cards and the fourth card opens on the board (called the Turn). Now, the players can judge the strength of their own hands against those of other players based on betting patterns. They can choose to Call a bet, raise that bet by a certain percentage of the total pot (called a Raise), or fold their hand.

When writing a scene involving poker, try to focus most of your attention on the player reactions. This will give your readers an authentic sense of what is going on at the table. Who flinched, who smiled? How much pressure is on their shoulders?