Poker is a card game that is played by a group of people sitting around a table. Each player has chips that they can use to make bets on each hand. The aim is to have the highest ranked hand when the betting ends. The winning player gets all of the chips that were bet during that hand. The game can be very fast-paced, with players continuously raising and folding their cards.

To start a hand, each player puts in an initial contribution, called an ante, into the pot. Depending on the rules of the game, this can be as little as one chip. Once the antes are in, the cards are dealt. Each player has seven cards to work with – two of their own in their hand, plus the five community cards on the table.

During the course of each betting interval (known as a round), each player can choose to either “call” the bet made by the person to their left, or raise it. When a player calls a bet, they put in the same amount as that bet. They can also fold their cards, meaning they will not play any more hands.

What makes poker interesting to millions of people is the human element – the by-play and reactions between players. Focus on these things when writing an article about the game, and include personal anecdotes to keep it engaging. It’s also important to learn how to read your opponents – a skill known as reading tells. These are unconscious habits, such as facial expressions, body language and gestures, that reveal information about a player’s hand.