Poker is a card game with many variants and rules, but all involve betting between players. Each player makes a bet by placing chips in the pot (representing money) in order to compete for the highest hand. These bets are made voluntarily, on the basis of expected value and other strategic considerations. Players may also bluff, making bets that they do not expect to win.
The first step in learning poker is to familiarize yourself with the game rules. This includes knowing what cards constitute a high hand and what hands beat which. You can look at charts online to get a feel for this or ask fellow players if you have any questions.
Once the first betting round is complete the dealer deals three cards face up on the table that all players can use (this is called the flop). Then another round of betting begins.
In poker, the value of a hand is inversely proportional to its frequency; a higher-frequency hand has a lower value than a less-frequent one. A high-value hand is one consisting of three matching cards of one rank and two unmatched cards of another, such as a straight or flush. A low-value hand is one consisting of two matching cards of the same rank and three unmatched side-cards, such as a pair or three of a kind.
The best hand wins the pot, and players may call (match) bets that they believe have positive expected value or bluff bets they do not intend to win. Players can also fold if they do not have a good hand, though this will cost them the amount of money that they have contributed to the pot so far.