Poker is a great game for socializing and enjoying time with friends. It can also be quite profitable, as many professional poker players make a living playing the game , each player is dealt two cards face down. These are called hole cards. The first round of betting begins with the player to the left of the big blind. This player can either check, bet or fold. If the player checks, they do not have to put any more money in the pot but they also cannot win any more money from the pot. If the player bets, they put money into the pot and the other players must either match this bet or fold.The next three cards are dealt face up in the middle of the table. These are called community cards and can be used by all of the players to make their hand. The second round of betting begins with the player to the left of the button. This round of betting works in the same way as the first round.