Poker is a card game in which the twin elements of chance and skill are combined to make winning hands. While the outcome of any hand in Poker will inevitably involve some element of luck, over time the application of skill eliminates most chance. In Poker, players voluntarily place money into the pot and bluff for strategic reasons. The player with the best 5 card poker hand wins the entire pot.
Initially each player has 2 cards that are dealt face down, this is called a hole. Once the dealer has dealt all players, there is a round of betting that begins with the player to the left of the dealer (or the player holding the button). Then 3 more cards are dealt face up, this is called the flop. After this a further round of betting takes place.
At this stage if you think your cards are of poor value, say hit to discard the unwanted cards and draw new ones from the top of the draw pile. You can also say stay to keep your current hand if it is of good value.
Once the cards have been revealed there is a final round of betting that ends with a showdown. A player can win the pot if they have the best hand, including a straight or flush. If they do not have a high enough hand then the pot is split between players. This is not uncommon as the game is very addictive and people can become quite competitive!