How to Write About Poker

Poker is a card game played between 2 or more people. There are many variants of the game, but most use a standard 52-card English deck. Before each hand, players must place a mandatory bet (called a blind) into the pot. These bets help create an incentive to play and are placed by the players to the left of the dealer.

Once the bets are made, each player is dealt 2 cards face-down, hidden from other players. These are called a player’s hole cards and may be used to build a winning 5-card hand. After each player receives their hole cards, another betting phase begins. This is called the pre-flop betting phase.

Professional poker players are expert at extracting signal from noise and using information to exploit their opponents. They do this through their own cues, such as eye contact and body language, but also by building behavioral dossiers on other players and even purchasing records of other player’s “hand histories.” The same techniques used in poker are applied to business and leadership. Top-quality articles about poker are engaging, interesting, and informative, and should include personal anecdotes and describe different methods that players use during a game, including tells. The article should also cover the rules and history of the game. The game’s inherent unpredictability offers a treasure trove of metaphors for creative writing. For example, a poker player’s ability to conceal his or her true intentions mirrors the twists and turns of a compelling narrative.