Poker is a card game played by two or more players. It involves betting between the players and winning the pot by having a high-ranking hand. A player can also win the pot by raising the bet and forcing other players to fold their hands.
A game of poker can be played by any number of players from 2 to 14, but the ideal number is 6. Each player starts the hand by placing an ante into the pot. Then the cards are dealt face-down to each player. After this, a first phase of betting begins with the player to the left of the big blind.
After the pre-flop betting phase, three more cards are dealt face up at the center of the table. These are known as the flop and they are community cards that can be used by all players to make their final 5-card hands.
During the betting phase, players may raise their bets and can also call (matching the last player’s bet). Generally, if the person to your right has raised his or her bet, you should match it in order to avoid being forced to fold your hand.
The highest hand wins the pot, but sometimes there is a tie among the best hands. This is when a player with a weak hand can still win the pot by bluffing or by making strong bets to force other players into folding their hands. If you have a good hand, you should always raise your bets in order to maximise your winnings.