A game of chance and skill, Poker is played by two or more people around a table. Players put chips into a central pot when betting on a hand, with each player hoping to have the highest hand. Bets are based on a combination of probability, psychology, and game theory. Although some bets are forced, players place money into the pot only when they believe it has positive expected value or when they attempt to bluff others for various strategic reasons.

At the beginning of each round of betting, one player makes a forced bet, known as an ante or blind bet. Then the dealer shuffles the cards, and then deals each player a number of cards (two or more, depending on the game). The first of several betting rounds begins with the player to the right of the person who made the ante or blind.

In the betting rounds, a player can choose to pass on betting by saying “check,” or they can bet by putting chips into the pot that their opponents have to match or raise. Players can also fold their cards, forfeiting the hand.

To win a hand, a player must have the highest card or a pair of cards of the same rank. A full house contains 3 matching cards of one rank, a flush contains 5 consecutive cards from the same suit, and a straight contains five cards of different ranks in sequence.