How to Play High-Stakes Poker

A poker player has to be able to read other players. This includes noticing their physical tells, such as fiddling with their chips or wearing a ring, as well as their behavioral tells, such as avoiding eye contact and slow-blind calling. A player must also be able to identify whether or not someone else has an unbeatable hand. This requires a deep understanding of the game’s rules and hand rankings.

A strong poker player knows how to play their cards and use the community cards to create a winning hand. They know how to build a pot by betting and chasing off other players who may have a better hand. This is called fast-playing.

The best hand wins the round and all of the money that was put down as buy-ins at the table. Sometimes, there are ties among the best 5-card hands, and a player will share the pot.

If you’re playing at a high stakes table, it’s important to understand how a “showdown” works. If a player has a strong hand and can’t meet the last raise, they can either call for the amount of their stake, or fold. If a player folds, they cannot win more than the amount of their own stake, even if they have the best hand. This method is known as the “matching” method. It is common in high stakes games like the World Series of Poker (WSOP) and the European Poker Tour (EPT). It is less common in low-stakes games, where players are more likely to fold with weak hands.