Poker is a card game played by two or more players and involves betting. Each player has “chips” that they can use to place bets. The object of the game is to win a pot consisting of all bets made during a given round. The game can be played by 2 to 14 people, with the ideal number being 6-8. There are many different forms of poker, but all share certain principles. Generally, one person is designated the dealer and is responsible for shuffling the cards and dealing them to each player. A chip is passed around so that each player knows who has the dealer role in a particular round. Depending on the game, there may be forced bets, such as an ante or blind bet, and a player is usually required to cut before being dealt cards.
When a player’s turn comes, they must either call, check, or fold. In most cases, a player can also raise their bet (called raising). This is often done when a strong hand is revealed, or if the player feels that they have a good chance of making a strong hand on the flop. Occasionally, players will also bluff, which is a common strategy in poker.
The players aim to make the best 5 card “hand” using their own two personal cards and five community cards. A full house contains 3 matching cards of one rank, a straight contains 5 cards in sequential order, and a flush is any four cards of the same suit.