Poker is a card game played between two or more people. The game has many variations, but the most common are cash games and tournament play. Each player puts a fixed amount of money into the pot (known as buy-in) before the dealing of cards begins. The players then reveal their hands and the winning player(s) win the pot.

A standard poker hand consists of a pair of cards of the same rank and a single card of another rank. The rank of a standard poker hand is determined by its odds (probability). A hand with a higher rank beats a hand with a lower rank. Ties are decided by the kicker, which is the highest ranked non-pair card in the hand.

Poker is also a game of information, and players make decisions based on what they know about other players’ behavior and their own betting strategy. In addition to relying on their knowledge of probability and psychology, poker experts use a variety of tools and techniques to gather information about other players. These include behavioral dossiers, analyzing body language and eye contact, and even buying or collecting records of other players’ “hand histories.”

A dealer shuffles the cards and deals them one at a time to each player, starting with the player to his or her right. The first of several betting rounds begins, and each player may call the bet, raise it, or fold. A player who does not call a bet or raises it too low forfeits any chips that he has already put into the pot and may no longer compete for the pot.