Poker is a card game played between two or more people. It is a fast-paced game with many betting rounds. The player with the best five-card hand wins. Players may also bet on other hands, or fold and not participate. The game is often played for high stakes, with the highest possible hand earning the most money.

Depending on the game rules, one or more players are required to place an initial amount of money into the pot before the cards are dealt. This is called a forced bet and comes in the form of an ante or blind bet. The dealer shuffles the cards, and then the player on their right cuts them. The cards are then dealt out to the players, either face up or down, and the first of many betting rounds begins.

As the game spread, it became more common to use a full 52-card English deck of cards and the flush was introduced as an additional recognised combination. The draw was a significant development that made the game more popular, as it added an additional round of betting and the opportunity to improve a promising hand. This helped Poker to compete with other card games such as Brag (three-card British) and Bouillotte (late 18th – early 19th centuries, French and American). Other developments included draw poker (1904), community cards (1925), lowball and split-pot poker (1900). These changes largely led to the popularity of modern poker as it is played today.