Poker is a card game that requires concentration, a high level of focus and the ability to analyze your opponents. It’s a great way to exercise your brain, boost mental and emotional resilience and improve your decision-making abilities. This can lead to a number of cognitive benefits in your life, from your career to personal relationships.

Deal each player one card (after shuffling and cutting the deck). The player with the highest ranking card gets to start on the button (or first in line to act). If two players have the same high cards, you can break the tie using the suits. Spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs are ranked in order of highest to lowest; the suit you hold determines your position at the table.

Players then place chips into the pot, representing money. Each player has the choice to “call” or “raise” the previous players bets, or fold their cards and leave the hand.

Once all players have called or raised the last bet, the next betting interval commences. This is known as the flop.

More experienced players will try to work out their opponent’s range, meaning they will calculate the probability that their opponent holds a certain hand at any given point. This allows them to make informed decisions on later streets, such as the turn and river, and increase their chances of winning the pot.