Poker is a card game with many variants, but all of them involve betting by players on the strength of their hands. The game can be played for money, with the winner taking the pot (or ‘pot limit’). Alternatively, players may play for fun, and there are also many games that do not require any real money to be played.

The game is usually played from a standard pack of 52 cards, though some variants use multiple packs or add a few jokers. There are four suits, and the rank of a card is determined by its numerical frequency in the pack; thus an Ace is always high, while a King is low. Some variants include wild cards, which can take any suit or rank the player desires.

Before the game begins, one or more players are required to make forced bets, called an ante or blind bet. The dealer then shuffles the cards and deals them to each player, beginning with the player to his or her left. The first betting round is then made, with players able to call or raise the amount of the previous player’s bet.

As the betting continues, players with stronger hands reveal their cards and the highest hand wins the pot. If a player has a weak hand, they can fold or bluff to force other players into calling their bets. Bluffing requires good knowledge of the other players’ betting patterns and tells, which are unconscious habits that can reveal information about a player’s hand.