Poker is a card game for two or more players with a goal of winning wagers by making the best possible hand. The game is played with a conventional 52-card deck, although there are many variants of the rules. Players place chips, or “blinds,” into a central pot before the cards are dealt. Depending on the rules, one or more players may be required to make forced bets, known as the ante and/or blinds.

Each player has a turn to open the betting. To open, a player places in the pot an amount of money equal to the last bet or raise made. If no player opens, the players can check their cards and remain in the hand or fold it.

Once a player opens, the other players can choose to call (match the previous bet) or raise it. To raise, a player places more chips in the pot than the previous bet or raise.

When writing poker scenes, the key is to focus on player reactions and by-play between the players. Too much description of card draws, bets and reveals will feel lame or gimmicky. The more realistic you can keep the action, the better the scene will be. For example, avoiding showing a player winning with 4 aces or a Royal Flush is important because these hands are cliche and rarely happen in real poker. Instead, show a more realistic hand like 2 pair which is made up of two matching cards of one rank and another unmatched card.