Poker is a card game in which players place bets (usually chips) into a central pot, called the pot. The object of the game is to win the pot by having a high poker hand at the end of the betting round. This involves a combination of chance and psychology, with players making decisions based on probability, opponent study, and game theory. A key part of the game is bluffing, which allows players to minimize their losses with weak hands and maximize their winnings with strong ones.

There are many variants of poker, but most games require a minimum number of seven players. Each player buys in for a set amount of chips, which represent money. Each chip is worth a certain value, with white chips being the lowest, and red the highest. Each player must also have a set of cards. A dealer shuffles the cards, and deals them to the players one at a time, beginning with the player on their left. The first player to act must place in the pot an amount of money equal to or greater than the amount placed in by the player before them.

After each round of betting, the remaining cards are dealt face up, and a new round of betting begins. The best 5 card poker hand wins the pot, which consists of both the personal cards in each player’s hand and the community cards on the table. Ties are broken by a high card.