Poker is a card game that requires skill in order to win. It can be stressful and emotional, but it teaches players how to control their emotions and remain calm in the face of adversity. It also teaches them how to read their opponents and pick up on tells by paying attention to subtle physical cues.

The underlying skill in Poker is minimising losses with poor hands and maximising winnings with good ones. Before the cards are dealt, the rules of the Poker game being played may require that each player puts an initial contribution, called an ante, into the pot. This money, which is re-invested during the betting intervals, forms the pot that the winner takes all of at the end of the game.

After the antes have been placed, the cards are dealt in one or more rounds of dealing. Each deal interrupts the betting interval. The first bettor, as designated by the rules of the Poker variant being played, must make a bet in the first betting interval and can then choose whether to bet again or check.

The poker game is usually played with chips, which represent the amount of money that each player will bet. The smallest chip, called a white chip, is worth an established minimum ante or bet; the largest chip, often called a red, is worth five of the whites. Each player must have a supply of at least this many chips in order to participate in the game, and they are often purchased collectively by the group of players.