Poker is a card game in which players bet money or chips by taking part in rounds of betting. The aim is to win a pot, or sum of money or chips, by having the highest-ranked poker hand at the showdown. This is achieved by making your opponents believe that you have a strong poker hand, or by using bluffing. A good poker player focuses as much on their opponent’s moves as on their own.
There are several different poker variants and each has its own rules. One of the most important rules is that, unless otherwise specified, each player must place into the pot (a central pile of chips representing money) a number of chips equal to or higher than the amount placed by the person before them. This is known as a call.
During the first round of betting, each player gets two cards face up. After the players have acted, the dealer shuffles and deals two more cards to each player, beginning with the person to their left. These two additional cards are the flop. After the flop, each player gets another opportunity to bet again.
The players then show their cards and the player with the best poker hand wins. There are many other poker hands, including a flush, which is 5 cards of the same suit, a straight, which is five consecutive ranks in a series, and 3 of a kind, which includes 2 cards of the same rank plus 1 unmatched card.