Poker is a card game that involves betting between players and the chance of winning a hand. There are many different variations of the game, but the basic rules are the same. The object is to win the “pot” – all the money that has been bet during one round of play. This can be done by having the highest ranked hand of cards, or simply by continuing to bet that your hand is the best until all other players drop out of the game.

The game begins with each player placing a small bet into the pot (called the blind). Then, each player is dealt 2 cards face down, hidden from the other players. This phase is called the pre-flop betting phase and each player’s hidden cards are called their hole or pocket.

After the pre-flop betting phase, 3 more cards are dealt face up in the center of the table – this is called the flop. Then another round of betting takes place. The player with the highest ranked 5 card poker hand wins the pot.

In addition to checking and folding, a player can raise the amount of their bet during each round of betting. A player can also “call” a previous player’s raise to stay in the game. In some variations of the game, it is possible to put all of your chips into the pot – this is known as all-in.