Poker is a card game that can be played by two to seven players. It is typically played with poker chips, which are usually worth either a certain number of whites or reds (depending on the rules), or a fixed amount of money.
The first step is to determine how much money you want to put into the pot before cards are dealt. This can be done in one of three ways: antes, blinds, and bring-ins.
Once you have decided how much to put into the pot, the dealer shuffles and deals the cards. The player on the left of the dealer cuts, and the first of several betting rounds begins. After the betting, each player can discard up to three cards and take new ones from the top of the deck.
Players then reveal their cards, and the hand with the best combination of cards wins. The winner takes the total of the bets from all players plus any winnings from other hands.
If you have a strong opening hand, you should always bet aggressively. This is for two reasons: 1. You want to build the pot, and 2. It will make your opponents think twice about calling down with weaker hands or chasing draws.
If you have a mediocre opening hand, you should also bet aggressively. This is because your opponents will call down your mediocre hand, chase your draws, or call hero calls on the off chance that you may be bluffing.