Poker is a game of incomplete information, and your every move gives away bits to your opponents that they use to build stories about you. Whether you fold, check, call, or raise, each action communicates something about your hand and its strength or weakness. A good player will use these tells to their advantage, even when their own hands are not very strong.
A player’s position in the round is important because it affects how much risk they take on each hand. It also influences their chances of making a strong hand, and how likely they are to be able to make a straight or a flush.
Once all players have received their two hole cards, there is a betting round called the “flop.” This betting round starts with the player to the left of the dealer. Each player can fold, check (not put any money into the pot), bet, or call (match a previous player’s bet).
After the flop, another card is dealt face up. This is the turn, and there’s another round of betting.
After the river, the fifth community card is dealt. There’s one more round of betting, again starting with the player to the left of the dealer.