Poker is a card game for 2-14 players, in which bets are made into a common pot. The highest-ranking hand wins the pot. There are many different variations of the game, but the basic rules are the same: each player antes something (the amount varies by game and in our case is typically a nickel) to get dealt cards, then everyone bets on their hand during betting intervals. Minimizing losses with poor hands and maximizing winnings with good ones is the underlying skill of the game.
When it is your turn to act, you can call the previous bet or raise it. If you raise the bet, the other players must either call it or fold (drop). Alternatively, you can say “check,” meaning that you do not want to make a bet but would like to remain in the hand.
Some of the most interesting aspects of Poker are the tells that can give away a player’s intentions to the other players. These can be anything from a change in posture to a gesture or facial expression. Some players even wear a mask to hide their face, making it harder for other players to detect these tells.
A tournament is a competition with a set number of matches where the overall winner is determined in a final match between the two best competitors. These tournaments are common in team sports, racket sports, combat sports, many board games and card games, and some forms of competitive debating.