Poker is a card game played by two or more people in which each player bets according to the rules of the specific variant being played. Some players have the right to make a forced bet, known as the ante, and others may raise the amount of a previous player’s bet, which is called raising.

A player must place chips (representing money, for which poker is invariably played) into the pot before he can begin betting on his hand. The first player to do so is called the button player, and he must put in at least the minimum bet, referred to as the blind, in order to play his hand.

After the blind has been made, a card is dealt to each player, either face-up or face-down depending on the specific variant of poker being played. Then the first of what could be several betting intervals begins.

During the course of the hand, players discard cards to improve their hands and bet according to the rules of the game. The highest hand wins. In the event of a tie, the winnings are split.

To play poker successfully, it is important to understand how other players think and act during a hand. This can be done by learning their tells, such as eye movements and idiosyncrasies, or by studying their betting patterns and behavior. For example, a player who bets very low early in a hand may be trying to bluff, while a player who calls every other bet and then makes a huge raise is probably holding an excellent hand.