The game of poker involves betting on the hands of several players. The players place their bets in several rounds, where the poker hands develop between rounds. At the end of each round, the current bet amount (the total bet amount of the player who placed the previous bet) is gathered in the pot.

The player to the left of the big blind acts first in a round. He can check or raise his bet. The dealer then deals the first three community cards face up. In subsequent rounds, the small blind acts first. The dealer then “burns” one card from the top of the deck. In addition to a blind, the dealer deals the first three community cards, known as the flop.

The winner of a round of poker depends on the value of the top two cards in the player’s hand and the second highest card. A straight, which starts with the highest card, is considered to be the best hand. A flush, on the other hand, is a set of five cards with the same suit.

Poker is a game of skill, strategy, and chance. Players can check the pot, call, raise, or fold. They can use poker chips, which are colored red, white, blue, or green. They are valued by the dealer before the game begins. The player who wins the pot is declared the winner.