Poker is a card game in which players compete for the pot (the sum of all bets) by making the best hand based on a ranking of cards. The game has many variations, but all involve betting and the use of cards and chips. The aim is to win the pot by forming a winning hand before any other players reveal their cards. Players may also make bets without having a hand, known as bluffing. If the bluff fails, the player forfeits the pot.

The game is played using poker chips, each worth a different amount depending on its color. A white chip is worth the minimum ante, a red chip is worth five whites and a blue chip is worth 10 whites. At the start of a round, each player “buys in” by placing a specified number of chips into the pot. The dealer then deals each player a set of five cards.

A strong poker hand consists of any two distinct pairs of cards plus the fifth card, which is known as a high card. A high card breaks ties if no one has a pair or better.

It is important to know when to play a strong poker hand and when to fold. The majority of poker hands are losers, so it is usually best to fold unless you have a good reason to stay in the hand. It is also important to pay attention to the tells of your opponents. This is easier to do when you are not involved in the hand, as you can observe their reactions and pick up on small details that would be difficult to notice if you were playing your own hands.