Poker is a card game in which players place bets against each other with the aim of winning a pot. The value of a poker hand depends on its mathematical frequency and is determined by the other players at the table, who may call (match) your bet or fold. Players can also bluff, betting that they have a high-value hand when they do not, hoping that other players will fold.

A standard 52-card deck is used in most games and chips, rather than cash, are used for bets. Chips are easier to stack, count, keep track of, and make change with. Most games are played with just a few players per table.

Before each hand is dealt, all players must ante an amount of money into the pot in the center of the table. Once the antes are in, the dealer deals each player a card face down and then another card face up. The first player to act (betting is done in clockwise order) must raise or check.

After the flop is dealt a fourth card comes up on the board that everyone can use, this is called the turn. Then the final betting round happens where players decide whether to continue in to the showdown with their poker hands or fold.

During the betting rounds it is important to pay attention to the other players and their behavior. Reading other players is a huge part of the game and it can be done through subtle physical poker tells, but more often it is accomplished by watching patterns. For example, if a player checks a lot then they are probably playing pretty weak cards.