The Basics of Poker

Poker is a card game played between two or more people. It has many variants, but the ideal number of players is 6, 7, or 8. The object of poker is to win all the chips put down as a buy-in at the table. Normally this is done by having the best 5-card hand. A player can win the pot by placing chips in a bet called a raise, calling a bet, or folding before the showdown.

In most games, each player puts in an initial bet called an ante before they are dealt cards. Players then bet into a common pool of money called the pot in turn, according to the rules of each variant. The highest hand wins the pot, and there are often rules for how to split the money if no one has a winning hand.

The first round of betting is usually called the pre-flop phase, where each player has 2 cards that are hidden from other players (called their hole or pocket cards). A third card is then dealt face up in the center of the table – these are community cards called the flop. The next round of betting begins with the player to the left of the big blind.

Players can misinform each other about the strength of their hands by using signals, such as a slow-play to indicate weakness, or a large bet to intimidate opponents. This allows them to maintain a dominant position until the final showdown, when all cards are revealed and the best 5-card poker hand collects the entire pot of money.