Poker is a game that requires a lot of mental energy and control. It also tests your ability to conceal emotions that may give away clues to the strength of your cards. This is especially important when bluffing, as your opponents are constantly watching for a sign of weakness that they can exploit.

Poker improves your resilience by teaching you to take a hit and not get discouraged by a bad hand. This is a valuable skill that can be applied to other areas of your life.

An ante is a small amount of money that each player must contribute to the pot before a hand starts. This is a forced bet, unlike the blind which is voluntarily placed in the pot by a player who believes it has positive expected value.

After the antes are placed, the dealer shuffles the pack and deals them one at a time to each player, starting with the player to his left. Depending on the rules of the game, players may be required to cut the deck before each deal.

A Full House contains 3 matching cards of the same rank and 2 matching cards of another rank. A Flush consists of 5 consecutive cards of the same suit. A Straight contains 5 cards of consecutive rank but from more than one suit. The High Card breaks ties. The game is played in betting intervals, which are called hands. Each hand ends when the players have completed their betting obligations for that round.