Poker is a card game that involves betting. The goal is to form the best possible hand based on card rankings in order to win the pot at the end of each betting round. While a large amount of poker is influenced by chance, it also requires skill and psychology.
The most common hands are a pair, three of a kind, four of a kind, and straight. The highest pair wins. Ties are broken by looking at the highest cards in each hand, then comparing those cards to each other.
A poker dealer is responsible for distributing chips into the pot after each hand. They must ensure that all players know how much is in the pot, and that any side pots have been properly allocated. In addition, the dealer must keep track of which player has the button and when it will be their turn to act.
To be a good poker player, you must learn to control your emotions and not get too caught up in the game. There will be times when you feel like calling a bet with a weak hand, just so you can see the card that would make your flush or straight. But if you do this over and over, you will waste money and eventually lose all your chips to bad luck or to players who called your weak call on the river. This is why you must learn to be disciplined and stick with your strategy even if it feels boring or frustrating.