The game of poker is a card game played by two or more players. Each player places an amount of money into the pot (a shared pool of all bets during a round) before the cards are dealt. The goal of the game is to form the highest-ranking poker hand based on the card ranks and odds. The player with the highest-ranking hand wins the pot at the end of each betting phase.

In some variations, a single player acts as dealer for all the rounds of a game; this person is responsible for shuffling and dealing the deck of cards to each player. In other variants, each player has a designated dealer chip, and the duties of this role are passed around the table.

There are a number of different betting phases during a poker round, and each player has the option to check or raise his or her bet at any time. A player who does not raise his or her stake can remain in the pot until a showdown, but will not win more than his or her original stake in the pot.

The game of poker has an extensive history, and is widely played by professional and amateur players alike. It is a fast-paced game, and players bet until one has all the chips or everyone folds. In addition, there are a number of strategies and tactics for winning the game. These include reading your opponents and exploiting their tells. These are unconscious habits that a player exhibits during a game, and can be as simple as a change in posture or gesture.