Poker is a card game in which players compete to assemble the highest-ranking hand of cards in order to win money or chips. The game requires both luck and skill to be successful, although over time the application of skills can eliminate much of the variance caused by chance.

To begin a hand, all players place an amount of money into the pot called an ante. Then they are dealt five cards, which they can either hold or discard. Players then take turns betting. Depending on the rules of a particular game, players may also be required to make additional bets before their turn – these are called blind bets or bring-ins.

Once the betting phase is over, 3 more cards are dealt face-up at the center of the table (revealed to all players). These are called the flop and they form the community cards in each player’s 5-card hand. Then another betting phase begins with the player to the left of the big blind.

As the betting continues, players can raise their bets or fold if they don’t think they have a good hand. When a player raises, it’s up to the other players to call their new bet or fold. In some cases, a player will put all of their remaining chips into the pot in one go, which is known as going all-in. Another common strategy in poker is to use tells – unconscious habits displayed by a player during gameplay that reveal information about their hand.