Poker is a game of chance, but it relies on skill too. Players learn to read their opponents’ actions, including the way they handle their cards and chips, in order to make good betting decisions. They also become familiar with the rules and nuances of different poker variations. This knowledge helps them decide what strategies to implement, how much to bet and when to call or raise a bet.

A poker tournament is a competitive event that tests a player’s skill in a particular game over multiple iterations, ideally against a new opponent for each round. In Fantasy Flight Games Organized Play, we use the term to describe events that take place over a series of sessions of the same game, rather than the more common definition of a “tournament” as a single competition held at one time.

The chosen dealer begins the game by dealing each player a set number of cards and creating a community pile. A hand is created from the two personal cards in each player’s hand and the five shared community cards. Depending on the rules of your game, you may be able to draw replacement cards for those in your hand.

Players place bets using their own chips and the action progresses in rounds. If no one calls a player’s bet, that player wins the hand and the pot (the sum of all bets made) is theirs. If several players have strong hands, a showdown takes place and the winner or winners are determined by revealing their hands.