Poker is a card game in which players make bets on their own or against others based on a combination of chance and skill. It requires the ability to read opponents, predict odds and keep a cool head while making big bluffs. While the outcome of any hand largely involves chance, long-run expectations are determined by a player’s actions chosen on the basis of probability, psychology and game theory.

The object of the game is to win a pot, which consists of all the bets made during a deal. There are a number of different betting rules, but the basic principles are the same in all games. Players place an initial contribution, called the ante, into the pot before the cards are dealt. They then have the opportunity to raise or call bets in turn. The winner of each round is the player with the highest-ranking poker hand.

A player may also choose to discard and draw one to three additional cards. This is known as “adding to your hand.”

When a player says, “I open,” they add money to the betting pool. The other players then have the option to call or fold their hands.

The most common types of hands are Royal Flush (A, K, Q, J, and 10 of the same suit), Straight Flush (five consecutive cards of the same suit), Four of a Kind (four cards of the same rank), Two Pair (two matching cards) and High Card.