Poker is a card game involving betting between two or more players. Typically, a player must first place a mandatory amount of money into the pot (the sum varies by game). This is called anteing. After this, each player has the option to call, raise, or fold. The highest hand wins the pot.

Poker has gained popularity as a spectator sport. This has led to the development of poker tournaments and television shows featuring them. Many poker players study other players’ gameplay to learn from their mistakes and successful moves. These lessons are then incorporated into the player’s own strategy.

In addition to learning from experience, a good poker player must also be proficient at reading other players’ actions. This is because poker is a social game, and in-person cues like eye contact and body language are important for understanding how opponents may be betting and raising their hands. While online versions of the game eliminate in-person knowledge, many professional poker players make up for this by creating behavioral dossiers on their opponents and even buying records of other player’s “hand histories.”

A key part of writing a compelling Poker story is including realistic scenes that show how the game works. If you just describe a series of bets, checks and reveals without any context, the story will feel lame or gimmicky. To make the scene feel authentic, focus on the reactions of players – who flinched, who smiled, and who didn’t even blink.