Poker is a card game played between two or more players and the goal of winning the pot, which is a sum of all the bets made during a single betting round. There are many variations of poker, but all involve putting chips into a central pot after each betting interval and competing for a high hand with the highest value cards.
Before the cards are dealt, one or more players are required to place an initial amount of money into the pot, which is called an ante, blind bet or bring-in. These are forced bets and serve to add incentive for the player to play.
Once the cards are dealt, a series of betting rounds begin. The first of these is triggered when the player to the left of the dealer makes a bet of one or more chips. Each player must either “call” (match) that bet and remain in the current hand, or raise it by putting more chips into the pot.
If a player decides that they do not have a strong enough starting hand to continue betting, they may “fold” and forfeit their stake in the current hand. Some games also use wild cards, such as deuces or one-eyes.
A player can win the pot by forming the best possible five-card poker hand. The most common hand is a straight, which consists of consecutive cards in the same suit, such as Ace, Two, Three, Four and Five. Other types of hands include a flush, a full house and a three of a kind.