marceloburlonA game that combines strategy, skill, and risk taking. Poker has a long history of competition and has many variations. It is played both in tournaments and cash games. In a tournament, players compete against other people for prizes, which adds to the excitement and competitive nature of the game. A tournament organizer runs the event and ensures that it is run smoothly and fairly.
Before the cards are dealt, each player makes a forced bet, usually an ante or blind bet. The dealer then shuffles the cards and deals them one at a time, beginning with the player to his left. Depending on the variant of poker being played, these cards may be dealt face up or face down. During each betting interval, each player must place chips (representing money) in the pot that is at least equal to the amount of the bet made by the player before him. A player who raises his bet may also choose to call, fold or increase his bet further.
The object of the game is to make the highest ranked poker hand from your own two cards and the five community cards. The best possible hand is a royal flush, which consists of all five cards of the same suit. A full house consists of three matching cards of one rank, and a straight contains 5 cards that skip around in rank or sequence but are all from the same suit. A pair consists of two cards of the same rank, and a single unmatched card is called a brick.
If your hand is not good enough, you can still win the pot by continuing to bet that it will be. However, if you bet too much, other players may fold and you will lose the money that you have put into the pot. You can also try to improve your hand by discarding and drawing 1 to 3 new cards, or by leaving your hand alone.
Poker scenes in novels often focus on the interaction between the characters and their reactions to the cards that are played. This by-play is important because it gives the reader a sense of what the characters are thinking and feeling, which in turn helps to build tension and suspense in the scene.
Using top-notch writing skills is vital when creating this type of scene. Describing a series of card draws, bets and checks can feel lame or gimmicky, so it is essential to have a solid understanding of the rules of poker as well as how to create interesting interactions between the characters. You should also pay close attention to the physical aspects of the scene, such as who flinches or smiles when their cards are revealed, and how the action of the cards affects the other characters in the scene.
