Poker is a card game where players place bets on the outcome of a hand, depending on the rules of the specific game. The cards are dealt in one or more rounds of betting, and the highest-ranking hand wins the pot. There are many variants of poker, with the number of cards in play and whether they are dealt face up or face down varying between games. Almost all poker games require some form of forced bet at the start of each round, called an ante or blind. This money is placed into a central pot, and additional bets can be made during the course of a hand by players who believe that their bet has positive expected value or are trying to bluff other players for strategic reasons.

A poker game can be played with any number of players, from two to 14, but the ideal amount is six to eight. A table, some surrounding chairs, and a deck of cards are all that is needed to play poker.

The object of the game is to win the pot, which consists of all bets made during a single deal. A player may increase his bet during a round by saying “Raise.” Other players can choose to call (match) your raise or fold their cards and leave the pot. When a player has a strong hand, it is best to bet aggressively to force out weaker hands. Bluffing is also an important skill in poker, and can be used to win the pot even when a player does not have the strongest hand.