"How long does it take to learn poker, Dad?"
" All your life, son. "
- Michael Pertwee, British playwright/screenwriter

Professional poker player and poker TV commentator/analyst Mike Sexton likes to say, "Poker can take a moment to learn but a lifetime to master." That's because the rules are easy and once you've learned them, poker becomes a game of strategy and psychology - reading, bluffing and intimidating the other players at the table.

Number of Players

Experienced players consider five to eight players the ideal number, though players can range from two to 14, depending on the game. In poker, everyone plays for himself - poker is not about partnerships but one player at the end of the game who has won all the money wagered.

The Cards

A standard pack of 52 playing cards (sometimes with the addition of one or two Jokers) is used for play, but in professional play and casinos, two packs of different colors are used to speed up play: one for the current game and one shuffled and prepared for the next hand. A deck always on deck, so to speak. In casinos and professional play, it's customary to change cards often, replacing both packs at the same time. The seal and cellophane wrap on new decks are broken in front of all the players. Poker rules allow for a player to call for a new deck of cards at any time after active play has been completed.

The Object of Poker

The immediate goal for a poker player is to win all the bets in the pot during any one deal. Players make bets on their hands that they believe (or to give the impression) are the best. For most versions of poker, the top combination of five cards is considered the best hand, but many times, a player actually holding the best hand will be outplayed and intimidated (or bluffed) out of the hand. The overall goal of poker is to be the last player at the table with all the money when the final hand is dealt.

Callback Basics

As we've already learned, cards are ranked from high to low: King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, with the Ace used high above King or low below 2. There are four suits - spades, hearts, diamonds, clubs - and no suit has a higher ranking than the others. Poker hands contain five cards and the highest hand wins.

Poker is played for money, but it's customary to use chips designated with various denominations to represent money during the game. Players buy chips from the home game host or house (casino) to buy their seat at the table and cash them out (redeem) for money at the end of the game.

The Rules

In every variety of poker, hands are ranked by the cards a player holds and/or shares with other players. Games vary in the number of cards dealt, hand rankings, shared (or not shared) cards, number of betting rounds and betting procedures or limits. Most poker games have a forced bet like an ante or blind to incentivize play. The pot grows as players work through the rounds of betting.

Once the opening round of cards is dealt (clockwise), players must act during their turn, moving clockwise around the table.

When it's their turn, a player can Check, Bet, Fold, Call or Raise depending on action before them in the round:

• CHECK: If there is no bet in the current round, a player can pass the action clockwise to the next person in the hand. If everyone checks, the round is complete.

• BET: If no other bets have been made in the current round, a player can make a wager.

• FOLD: A player can forfeit their cards and cannot act again until the next game is dealt.

• CALL: A player can match the highest bet made so far in the round.

• RAISE: A player can match the highest bet made so far in the round, then "raise" it higher. Players who want to stay in the game, have to match the new higher bet.

After each betting round, more cards may be dealt (either hidden or visible to all players), which may change the best poker hand possible for each player as the game proceeds.

When the last bet or raise has been called during the final round of betting, the remaining players still in the hand show their hands (in order) to all - called the "showdown" - and the player (or players) with the highest ranking hand(s) wins that pot's wagers. Depending on the game's rules, multiple players can share one pot equally or it might be divided up based on hand hierarchy.

To summarize:

1. If required, initial bets - antes or blinds - are placed in the pot.
2. The dealer deals a set number of cards to all players.
3. After all players look at their own cards, the first player makes a decision to check, bet or fold.
4. If there is a check and no bet, the second player in the rotation decides the same. If there is a bet, the second player must match or raise the bet or get out of the hand by discarding their cards and forfeiting any chips already contributed to the pot.
5. Depending on action before them, each player at the table must decide whether to stay in the hand by matching or raising earlier bets or folding. When all remaining players have contributed equally to the pot, the betting round ends.
6. Depending on the poker game being played, more cards may be dealt or players can exchange cards. Active players participate in new round(s) of betting until the final round, which ends in a showdown.
7. For the showdown, all active players reveal their cards and the best five-card hand wins the pot.
8. Remember, players win two ways: have the best hand at the showdown or convince, persuade or intimidate the rest of the players to fold. If there is only one active player remaining at any time during the game, that player wins the pot automatically and doesn't have to show any cards.