Unlike most casino games, poker is played with chips that have specific values. Each player starts the game by “buying in” a certain amount of chips. A white chip is worth one unit; a red chip is worth five units; and a blue chip is usually worth 10 or 20 units. Depending on the type of poker you are playing, there may be other types of chips as well.

After all players have placed their bets, the dealer reveals the cards on the table. This is called the flop. Players now have the option to change their hand or fold. If they have a good enough hand, it is a great idea to raise, as this will force other players with weaker hands to fold.

There are several different poker hands: a full house, which is three matching cards of the same rank; a flush, which is any 5 consecutive cards from the same suit; and a straight, which is five consecutive cards of the same rank but from different suits. A pair is two cards of the same rank; a three of a kind is three matching cards of the same rank; and a four of a kind is four matching cards of the same rank.

In order to win a hand, you must have an edge over your opponent(s). To get this advantage, you can use deception to influence the way your opponents play. For example, bluffing is the act of betting a weak hand in the hope that it will induce other players with strong hands to fold. Alternatively, you can employ a more subtle form of deception called “exploitative strategy.”