Poker is a card game that involves betting. Each player has two cards that they keep hidden from other players, and five community cards. A player can win a pot (all of the chips bet so far) by making a “hand” with their own cards and the community cards. The higher the hand rank, the more likely it is to be made.
Each round of betting starts when a player, in turn, puts a number of chips into the pot. Then, each player to their left may call that amount of chips into the pot, raise it by putting in more than the called amount, or drop (“fold”). A player who drops must discard their cards and leave the game until the next betting interval, which is known as the “flop” of the hand.
When to fold
If you have a strong starting hand, it’s best to stay in the hand until the flop. That way, you’ll have a better chance of winning the pot when your opponents make big bets on their turns.
However, if you have a weak hand like Broadway + (e.g., J5o), it’s usually best to fold. The reason is that your opponent will probably be able to beat you with a higher pair or a straight or flush. It’s also important to remember that your opponent is always watching you, so it’s often easy for them to pick up on a bluff.