Poker is a card game that involves betting and raising stakes to win the pot. The rules vary according to the type of game, but most games require at least six players. When it’s your turn, say “call” if you want to bet the same amount as the player before you or raise it even more. This will make you the current leader of the hand and raise the value of your stake.
A standard deck of 52 cards is used, sometimes with one or two jokers, in most modern poker games. Two packs of contrasting colors are often used to speed up dealing and the reshuffling process: while the previous dealer deals from one pack, the other is shuffled and prepared for deal.
There are many possible poker hands, including the high pair, straight flush, and full house (three of a kind plus a pair). Ties are broken by highest unmatched cards or secondary pairs (in a three-of-a-kind or four-of-a-kind, for example). The rank of suits is determined by their odds (probability): higher-ranking cards beat lower-ranking cards.
Risk management is a key skill in poker, Just says, and it’s important to learn when to fold. “If your chances of winning a hand are rapidly diminishing, it’s a good idea to fold,” she says. “You don’t want to spend all your money trying to make a winning hand.” (As an option trader, Just also advises that you should keep records of your wins and losses and pay taxes on them, just as you would with any other income.)