How to Write a Poker Story
Poker is a card game that is played by two or more players. It is played using a standard 52-card English deck, with or without jokers/wild cards (although the use of wild cards in poker is not recommended). There are four betting streets and winning a hand can involve many factors other than simply dealing the best cards.
In the game of poker, money is placed into a pot voluntarily by a player when they believe that it has positive expected value and/or are trying to bluff other players for various strategic reasons. While luck does play a role in the outcome of any particular hand, over time the players with the most knowledge and skills will be the winners.
During the betting phase, each player has a chance to place additional bets in an attempt to improve their chances of winning the hand. Once all of the bets have been placed, each player must reveal their cards and the player with the highest ranked hand wins.
It is important to remember that the most interesting aspect of a poker story is not the hands themselves but how the players react to the cards that are played. Describing a series of card draws, checks, calls and revelations will quickly feel cliched. Instead, focus on the human reactions to these events – who flinched, who smiled etc. This will create a more compelling story and will resonate with your audience.