The game of Poker is played with a deck of cards and a central pot where players place their bets (or chips, representing money). Each player has one or more hands in the course of play, which compete to win the pot. The best hand wins the most money, and the worst hand loses all of its bets. The game is typically fast-paced and players can bet at any time in a round of betting, including after their opponents have made their bets. Players can also check if they don’t want to make a bet.

When a hand is dealt, the first round of betting begins. Two mandatory bets called blinds are put into the pot by players to the left of the dealer. Then, each player is dealt 2 cards face up and the first player to the left may choose to discard his or her cards and draw another card (called a “replacement”) or hold the cards they have already.

After the cards are dealt, each player places a bet into the pot, which is the sum of all the bets made in that particular deal. A player can raise a bet by saying “I raise,” which means they will increase the amount of their bet by at least an agreed minimum.

A hand of poker consists of five cards, and the best possible hand is called a royal flush, which consists of aces, kings, queens, and jacks of the same suit. If more than one player has a royal flush, the higher ranking hand wins.