Poker is a card game played by two or more players. The player with the best hand wins the pot. A poker hand is made up of five cards. A pair is two distinct cards; a straight is five consecutive cards of different suits; a flush is three cards of the same suit; a high card is one card that is higher than any other hand (breaks ties). In some games, wild cards are used.

The first round of betting starts after all the players have received their two hole cards. Then there is a third card called the flop. After this a second round of betting begins, starting with the player to the left of the dealer. There are 2 mandatory bets called blinds that are placed into the pot by the two players to the left of the dealer before the cards are dealt.

A player may raise his or her bet during any betting round. A player may also fold if his or her hand is weak. Players may bluff by betting that they have the best hand, and other players must call or concede.

The rules of Poker are complex and can differ greatly depending on the game being played. The best way to describe a poker scene is by using the five elements of plot conflict: exposition (introductory hands, players feeling each other out; no big bets); rising action (bets increasing, hands being revealed); and denouement (when the winning player collects the pot). Inexperienced authors can be tempted to include detailed descriptions of the cards and betting procedures, but this will only make a scene boring and unreadable.