Poker is a card game in which players bet in rounds and raise their stakes as they see fit. A good poker player needs a keen eye, bucket of confidence and a thorough knowledge of the game. In addition to these basic skills, there are a few poker terms that every player should be familiar with.

An ante is the small bet all players are required to make before a hand begins. An ante is similar to a blind bet and it adds value to the pot right away.

Position is one of the most important factors in poker. Being in position allows you to act last in a betting round and thus increase your chances of winning the pot. It also means that you can raise a lot more hands and call fewer hands than your opponents.

A high card is a single card of higher value than the others in your hand. High cards can be used to form straights and flushes.

The flop is three cards that are dealt face up on the board. They are community cards that anyone can use to make a poker hand. After the flop has been placed everyone still in the hand gets the chance to check/call/raise/fold.

Don’t get too attached to your poker hands. You never know when luck will turn against you. For example pocket kings on the flop with an ace could spell disaster. Also if the board has tons of straight and flush cards you should be wary of calling any bets no matter how strong your poker hand is.