Poker is a card game of skill and strategy, with many different variants. In its basic form, players make a five-card hand and compete for the pot, or the sum of all bets. Players can also bluff, betting that they have a superior hand when they do not. This can be successful if other players do not call the bet.

A key skill in poker is reading body language, or “tells.” This can reveal the strength of other player’s hands, and help you decide whether or not to bluff. It is also important to be comfortable taking risks and knowing when to fold a bad hand.

There are a number of rules that must be followed when playing poker, both to avoid cheating and to maintain the integrity of the game. Some of these rules are similar to basic social etiquette: be respectful of other players and dealers, don’t disrupt the gameplay, and always tip the dealer and serving staff!

There are many different ways to play poker, but most of them involve a fixed amount of money being placed in the pot before the cards are dealt. These bets can be called the ante, blind, or bring-in. Depending on the rules of the particular game, players may be required to place an additional amount into the pot before their cards are dealt, called an add-on. This is usually set at ten times the table’s high limit in most limit games, and twenty times the table’s high limit in no-limit games.