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Poker is a popular type of card game in which players gamble on the Higher value of the card combination ("hand") in their possession, by placing a bet into a central pot. The winner is the one who holds the hand with the highest value according to an established hand rankings hierarchy, or otherwise the player who remains "in the hand" after all others have folded (the player who makes an un-called bet.).
Poker has many variations, all following a similar pattern of play. Depending on the variant, hands may be formed using cards which are concealed from others, or from a combination of concealed cards and community cards.
Other games that use poker hand rankings may likewise be referred to as "poker." Video poker is a single-player computer game that functions much like a slot machine.
For a start, poker involves a degree of luck. In many games, such as chess or football, the better players or teams usually win. In poker, however, the better players don't win every hand or even every session. Anyone can play a hand perfectly and lose money, or play terribly and win.
But it's not all about luck. Good players will on average lose less with their bad cards and win more with their good cards. What's more, the best players will make the most money in the long run because luck always evens out if you play long enough. This isn't merely our opinion; it's a mathematical certainty.
Poker, as well as being a game involving luck, is also a game of incomplete information. In most games, again like chess or football, everybody has more or less the same information. In poker, however, some cards are hidden so that only the holder of those cards knows what they actually are. Because of this lack of information, poker isn't what's known as a solvable game. There is no definitive 'right move' in poker.
It's true that the element of luck involved in poker sometimes obscures the skill factor over a few hands, or even over the course of a session or tournament. This is why very average players sometimes win tournaments. But such players won't make good money day in, day out.
In fact, poker is every bit as complex and subtle as games such as chess or bridge, and you could spend the rest of your life learning how to play it better and better. It's just that it sometimes takes a little longer for a winning edge to make itself apparent in poker.
Just as you shouldn't underestimate poker, you shouldn't be intimidated by the game either. When you first start playing, it can be difficult to make money at even the lowest stakes, and any player can have a couple of losing sessions and start doubting their own ability. But don't get disheartened. If you keep plugging away, and keep reading and learning, you can become a winning, money-making player.
People play poker for any number of reasons, most notably the game's inherent sociability and the mental challenges it provides. Whenever you play, you're sure to have fun too. It just so happens that we subscribe to the school of thought that says you have more fun if you play well and make money. And that's what this book is all about.
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