Poker is a card game played by two or more players. It has many variants, but the goal is always to win the pot – all bets placed during one deal. You can do this by having the highest-ranking poker hand, or by making a bet that no other player calls. A good strategy is to learn to read the other players’ betting patterns. Conservative players are usually easy to spot, as they fold early and only raise with high cards. Aggressive players, on the other hand, are risk-takers and may make high bets without looking at their own cards first.

Each player starts with a certain number of “chips” (representing money) and is dealt two cards. These cards are referred to as your “hand.” You then aim to make the best 5 card poker hand using your own two cards and the five community cards dealt. There are typically several rounds of betting in which you can place additional chips in the pot. The fifth card is then revealed (“River”) and there is a showdown where the player with the best poker hand wins the pot.

To convey the feeling of tense anticipation and rising odds, you need to describe a series of hands over hours or dozens of rounds (hands). Describing a single hand may seem lame or gimmicky. Try to include some scenes of the by-play between players — who flinched, who smiled, who raised and how high they bet.