Poker is a card game played by two or more players and governed by a set of rules. Its object is to win the pot, which is the sum of bets made by all players in any one deal. The pot may be won either by having the highest-ranking hand or by making a bet that no other player calls.
Players buy in for a set number of chips that represent money; each chip is worth the same amount as the minimum ante or bet. The most common poker chips are white, red, and blue. The value of each color corresponds to its denomination; for example, a white chip is worth the least amount, a red chip is worth more, and a blue chip is worth even more.
Once all the players have their cards, a round of betting begins. This is usually initiated by 2 mandatory bets called blinds put into the pot by the players to the left of the dealer.
After the betting, another card is dealt face up to each player. This is known as the flop. This is followed by a second round of betting.
After the flop, each player can replace any cards in their hand with cards from the board. This is known as a “turn.” The final betting occurs before the showdown, when each player shows their cards. The player with the best five-card hand wins the pot. A full house is three matching cards of one rank and two matching cards of another rank, such as three 8s and two 4s; a flush is five cards of the same suit in sequence (but not necessarily all from the same suit); a straight is five consecutive cards of different suits, such as Q, 8, 7, 6, and 5 of clubs.