Poker is a card game in which players bet with chips that represent money. The object of the game is to win the pot, which is the sum of all the bets made in one deal. A player can win the pot by having the highest-ranking poker hand or by making a bet that no other players call. Players may also bluff, in which case they make a bet that implies that they have a better hand than they actually do, hoping to win by deceiving other players into calling their bet.

A poker hand consists of five cards. The value of a hand is in inverse proportion to its mathematical frequency; therefore, the more unusual a combination of cards is, the higher the hand rank. A player may win a hand by betting that he has the best possible hand, in which case other players must either call the bet or concede. Players may also bluff by betting that they have the best hand when they do not, in which case other players must call the bet or else fold.

The game can be played with any number of players, although the ideal is six to eight players. The cards are dealt to each player in turn, and a round of betting follows. During each betting interval (called a “round”), the first player to act places a bet of one or more chips into the pot. Each player in turn must either call the bet (put in chips equal to or greater than the amount placed by the player before him) or raise it. If a player declines to put any chips into the pot, he discards his hand and is said to “drop” (fold).