In poker, the goal is to make a 5-card “hand” using your own two cards and 5 community cards. The best hand wins. A player can also win the pot (all the chips bet so far) without showing his or her cards by bluffing. Players can decide to check (pass up betting until the next round), call a bet made by someone else, or raise.
Before the dealer deals out the cards, he or she burns a card, which makes it harder to guess what will come up on the flop. Then the flop is dealt, and there’s a round of betting. Then a fifth card is dealt (the “river”). Players can now choose to stay in their hands, fold their hands, or call a bet made by someone else.
To improve your game, practice, watch experienced players, and learn how to read the other players. The more you play and watch, the quicker your instincts will become. But always be sure to manage your bankroll, and don’t commit too much of it to a weak hand while you’re bluffing!
A good bluff involves playing your opponent’s fear and hope. If you can get them to believe that you have a strong hand, then they might be more inclined to keep you in the hand and bet too much money on your flop and river. But don’t let them in for free, or you will pay for it with your bankroll.