Official poker is the game played in casinos, private homes, and in countless poker tournaments around the world. There is a lot of luck involved, but great skill is required to win. It can be played socially for pennies or matchsticks, or professionally for thousands of dollars. In order to play the game properly, it is important to know a little about poker rules and etiquette.
In a standard 52-card pack, one player acts as dealer, and the other players place forced bets called small and big blinds before the cards are dealt. The dealer then deals each player two cards, face down. These are known as the hole cards. The player to the left of the button becomes the first player to act, and may raise any bets made by those to his or her right.
If a player wishes to remain in the pot without betting, they can “check.” However, if a player checks after any players have raised a bet, then they must call the bet or drop. Otherwise, they will be sandbagging and can lose the hand.
It is against poker rules to cry about bad beats. This gives away information about your hand and is considered bad gamesmanship. Furthermore, it can also make other players think that you are tilted and will likely play suboptimally going forward. It is also against poker rules to peek at another player’s cards, or to try and hide the fact that you are looking at your own.