Poker is a card game played by two or more players. It is a game of chance and skill, with the winner being the player who has the highest ranking hand at the end of the betting round. There are many variations of the game, but all share certain key principles. In all of them, players compete to win the pot, or the total sum of bets made during a deal. The betting cycle is circular; each player must either match or raise the previous bet, or fold and forfeit their cards and their involvement in the current hand.

Depending on the specific variant, one or more players must make forced bets, called blinds or antes. After the ante/blind bets are placed, the dealer shuffles and deals each player a hand of cards, beginning with the player to their left. During the course of the game, the cards in each hand will develop in some way, usually through additions and replacements dealt to the community cards or to the players’ private hands. Each time a new card is added to the community cards, a betting round begins.

When a player has a strong hand, they may bet at it to drive out players with weaker ones, or they can simply call the bet and hope that their opponent has made a mistake. Players may also bluff, or pretend that they have a stronger hand than they actually do. This is called a bluff, and it can be a very effective strategy.