Poker is a card game in which players place bets according to the strength of their hand. The highest ranked hand wins the pot. The rules of poker vary slightly from game to game, but the basic principles are always the same.
The game is played with a standard deck of 52 cards (although some games may use more than one or add a few extras like jokers). The deck is shuffled and cut before each hand. The person to the left of the dealer acts first. Then the shuffling and betting passes clockwise around the table.
Each player starts with two personal cards and then the five community cards are revealed. Then the players must form a hand from these seven cards. The highest ranking hand wins the pot – all the money that has been bet during that hand.
A pair of kings is a good starting hand, and if you can get some value on the flop, you should raise your bet. But many novices are too timid and check when they should be raising.
Stronger players see this and they take advantage of you. You’ll be shoved around and out-muscled by the competition unless you start making more aggressive moves. There’s nothing worse than a pair of kings that isn’t supported by solid betting. If you bet aggressively, you can make your opponent pay to see those types of hands on later streets. Then you can rake in the profits!