how do you play poker? ?

It’s texas holdem. depending on what your two cards are there is a round of betting. if you got crap cards, check. something good then make a bet, and everyone will have to match your bet, fold or if they think they got better cards they can raise.
3 community cards (meaning everyone uses them) will come up after the first round of betting. (there are still 2 more to come). there is another round of betting, you hand is now the 2 in your hand and the 3 on the table. http://www.thepokerforum.com/pokerhands.htm here are the hand rankings.
next comes the 4th community card called ‘the turn’. there is another round of betting. your hand is the best 5 cards out your 6 possible (2 in your hand and the 4 community)
the final community card comes called ‘the river’ and the final round of betting. best hand wins

There is alot of strategy involved, like what to stay in on etc. but too much info for that. this is the very minimum

The game is Texas Holdem and it is played like this:

1. The betting structure for Texas Hold’em can vary significantly. Sometimes there are a sizable number of players, and antes are used to get the betting going. However, in most games, the two players who are to the left of the dealer put out a pre set amount of money so that there is money in the pot right after the bat. This betting practice is called posting the blinds.
2. The dealer will now shuffle up a standard 52-card deck and deal two cards to each of the players at the table face down. These two cards are referred to as pocket cards, or hole cards.
3. The next step is a round of betting which begins with whoever is to the left of the two players who posted blinds before. This round is referred to most commonly as the pre-flop round. The amount that can be bet by each player will depend on what kind of game is being played. Players are allowed to call, fold or raise at this point as well.
4. Once the entire betting round has ended, the dealer takes the top card on the deck and discards it. This card, the burn card, is discarded to prevent cheating due to counting cards.
5. After discarding the burn ca4rd, the dealer takes the next three cards and deals them face-up on this table. These cards are referred to as the flop, and they are cards that anyone can use to make poker hand combinations with their pocket cards. The flop is the first real opportunity for players to determine whether or not they have the necessary cards to win at Texas hold em poker.
6. At this point in the game of Texas Hold’em there is another complete round of betting, but this time the round begins with whoever is directly to the left of the dealer. Once the betting has concluded, another card is burned. Once a burn card has been discarded, the dealer flips another card out onto the table alongside the flop. This is the turn card, another communal card that can be used to make poker hand combinations by all of the players at the table.
7. Betting continues with a fresh round of bets. In many Texas Hold’Em games, this is the point where the size of the bet is doubled. After the round of betting finishes, another card is burned, and then a final card is placed face up on the table. This card is referred to as the river card. With the five cards on the table and the two cards in the player’s hand, winning the hand means forming the best Texas Hold’em poker hand.
8. One final round of betting is run, beginning with the player seated directly to the left of the dealer. After all of the betting is finished, whoever is remaining will reveal their hands. This part of the game is known as the showdown. A five card hand must be formed by each player in order for them to stand a chance at this point. Whoever is still in the hand and has the best poker hand is the winner.

There is a lot more to know if you want to learn Texas Hold’em poker. After all, betting, bluffing, raising and folding are all important aspects of the game. If you want to play Texas Hold’em correctly, you need to become well versed in all facets of the game, otherwise you will fall prey to bluffers, and other players who have an edge over you. This game is not difficult by any means, but it does involve learning how to read your opponents and behaving accordingly. In no time at all you will be ready to win Texas hold em poker!