Poker is a card game played between two or more players. It is a gambling game and may be based on chance, but also involves skill and psychology. The goal of the game is to win a pot, or the sum total of all bets made during a deal. Players place their bets by putting chips into the pot in turn. A player can either call (match the amount of a previous player’s bet) or raise it. A player may also drop, or forfeit his hand and leave the betting interval.

A poker hand is composed of five cards. The higher the hand, the more valuable it is. There are a number of different types of poker hands: High card, pair, three of a kind, straight, and flush. A straight is five cards of consecutive rank, but from more than one suit; a flush is five cards of the same suit.

While many stories about poker revolve around bluffing and a high-stakes showdown, the game is also playable on a more modest scale. In a smaller scene, it’s important to keep in mind the five elements of plot conflict: exposition, rising action, player reactions, and the showdown. Describing a series of card draws, bets and checks can feel lame or gimmicky; instead, focus on the by-play between players and how they react to each other’s actions. For example, focusing on who flinched and smiled is more interesting than how many times someone checked or raised.