Poker is a card game in which players place bets (representing money) into a pot and compete for the highest possible hand of five cards. The game can be simple or complex, depending on the rules and the variation being played. The most basic form of the game involves players placing an ante before they are dealt cards, then betting on whether or not their hand will win.

During the betting phase of a hand, players reveal their hands in order of clockwise rotation around the table. Whoever has the best hand wins the pot. There are rules for how this winning money is distributed between the players at the end of the game.

Learning to read your opponents is important for poker. There are entire books dedicated to it, and people from psychologists to law enforcement officials have spoken about the importance of being able to read facial expressions and body language. It is equally important to watch the way your opponents move their chips and cards when making decisions. Keeping track of these details will help you see when your opponent is bluffing or has a strong hand.

When it’s your turn to act and the person to your right has raised, you can say “call” to match their bet. This means you are placing chips or cash into the pot equal to the amount of money raised by the player before you. If no one has raised since you last acted, you can choose to check instead of calling.