Poker is a card game that requires skill to win. The skill comes from knowing how to minimize losses with poor hands and maximize winnings with good ones.
The rules of the game vary depending on the type of poker being played, but in most cases, a player is dealt three cards face down, and two face up. The player with the lowest hand starts the game, and play continues clockwise around the table until everyone has had a chance to bet or fold.
During a betting interval, a player can “call” by putting into the pot the same number of chips as the player to the left; or “raise,” which means that they put into the pot more than enough chips to call. Or they can “drop” or “fold,” which means that they put no chips into the pot and discard their hand.
Players may also choose to “check” or not bet, which means that they do not place a bet in a betting interval and instead wait for other players to act before betting. This is a form of “sandbagging.” In most cases, however, this practice is prohibited, since it deprives other players of their chance to bet.