The Basics of Poker

Poker is a card game in which players wager money, called “chips,” on the strength of their hands. The goal is to have the best 5-card hand, using a combination of each player’s own two cards and five community cards. Players keep their cards hidden and place bets on the likelihood of having a winning hand. Players can also bluff, betting that they have a strong hand when they don’t, hoping to force players with weaker hands to fold and give up their chips.

Several different types of poker games exist, but they all share certain characteristics. For instance, each player places a bet before the cards are dealt, and the game continues until one player has all of the chips or everyone folds. The winner is then declared and awarded the pot (sum total of all bets made during a given round).

There are many different ways to play poker, including cash games and tournaments. When playing in a cash game, the player to the left of the dealer acts first. The action passes clockwise around the table, and players may raise, call, check or fold as they wish.

The highest-ranking poker hand is a royal flush, which consists of four matching cards of the same rank and five consecutive cards of the same suit. The next highest is a straight, followed by three of a kind, two pairs and finally high card. The high card breaks ties if multiple players have the same hand.