Poker is a card game of chance with a large element of skill and psychology. When you introduce betting, the game gains even more complexity & requires a greater degree of skill and intuition.

The game is typically played with chips, each of which represents a certain amount of money. For a seven-player game, there should be at least 200 chips in total. A white chip is worth the minimum ante; a red chip is worth five whites; and a blue chip is worth 10 whites. In addition to these standard values, players may also use other colors and symbols to represent different amounts of money.

Each player, in turn, must either call a bet or raise it. A player who does not put in enough chips to match a previous bet is said to “drop,” which forfeits his or her right to compete for the pot.

There are various strategies used in poker, including betting, bluffing and reading other players. The key is to develop quick instincts, which can be learned through practice and observing other experienced players. Conservative players tend to fold early in a hand, while aggressive ones are risk-takers that are more likely to bet high to win the pot. A player can only win a hand if it has the highest possible ranking, such as a royal flush (Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and ten of one suit), a straight (five consecutive cards of the same rank), or four of a kind.