Poker is a card game in which players place bets and attempt to make the best hand. There are many variations of the game, but the rules are the same across all of them. The goal of the game is to win the pot, which is the sum of all bets made during one deal. The pot may be won by having the highest-ranking poker hand or by making a bet that no other player calls.

The game is usually played with a standard 52-card deck (although some games use more cards or add wild cards). There are four suits, but the rank of each suit is not fixed. The highest possible hand is five of a kind, which beats any straight. If two hands have the same rank, then they split the winnings. Ties are broken by the highest unmatched card or secondary pairs (in a full house, for example).

Each player must place chips into the pot before it is his turn to bet. A player may say “call” to raise the previous bet by the same amount, or he may simply “call.” This will cause other players to call his new bet or fold. It is also common for players to make a “spot” bet, which is equal to the last bet and places the player in a position to win the pot.