Poker is a card game played by 2 or more players, each with chips to bet with. Players have two private cards called hole cards, and then five community cards are revealed, forming the “pot”. The goal is to make the best 5 card poker hand using your own two hole cards plus the shared cards. There are many ways to do this, but the most successful hands have one or more distinct pairs, a straight, or a flush.

In the early days of poker, the game was played with a standard English deck of 52 cards with four suits (spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs). A fifth suit called “jokers” is also sometimes used. The highest ranked hand wins. Ties are broken by examining the highest single card in each hand, if there is one, and then the second highest, and so on.

Before the cards are dealt, players must place some money into the pot to create an incentive to play (these are known as forced bets). They can be in any amount, and they usually come in the form of antes or blind bets. The dealer then shuffles the cards, cuts the deck and deals each player their own cards, starting with the player to their left.

Each round includes a betting period in which players are able to raise their bets, call the previous player’s bet, or fold their cards. There are often additional cards revealing more information about the pot, called the turn and river. The betting continues until all players show their cards, and the winner is determined.