Poker is a card game played by players who place bets in pots. There are many forms of poker. In most versions, players make an ante (or blind bet) at the beginning of the game. After the ante has been placed, the dealer deals cards to the players one at a time. They may either be dealt face up or face down depending on the variation. During the course of the game, players develop their hands.
The first step to learning how to read a poker range is to understand how each of these hands fits into the range. Players often use a particular set of hands for passive or aggressive play. They also consider the visual range and frequency of action to decide which hands to play. Players can also use shorthand to talk about the range. For example, “JJ+” means to select pocket Jacks, but also all pocket pairs above it. In addition, “+” after a starting hand means to include all hands higher than that.
The next step is to determine who will get the odd chip in the pot. When two players are tied for the high or low hand, the odd chip goes to the player with the highest card by suit. If a player makes both the high and low hand, the pot will be split between them as evenly as possible.