Poker is a card game that involves placing bets on your hand. It is played at casinos and private homes. The main goal is to bet as low as possible while still maintaining a fair chance of winning.

Poker can be played with as few as two players or as many as eighteen. Players start the game by buying a certain number of poker chips. These chips are normally made of ceramic or plastic. They are easy to keep track of and can be exchanged for cash.

A 52-card deck is used in most games. Cards may be dealt face down, face up or in rotation. The dealer is the person who has the final right to shuffle the cards. In some games, the ace is treated as the lowest card.

Once the cards are dealt, the player who has the highest poker hand wins the pot. The pot is the aggregate of all bets placed by all the players during a single deal.

Some games require each player to contribute a certain amount of money to the pot before the game begins. Often, this money is referred to as the ante.

During the first betting round, each player bets an amount of money that is equal to the previous bettor’s total bet. This bet is said to be “raised” or “folded”.

After the betting interval is over, the last player who has bet calls. If no one has bet, the player who has bet is said to “check”. Checking means that the player does not bet and remains in the game.