Poker is a card game. Players check the pot before the flop, and have the option to call a raise or fold. They play with poker chips, which are normally red, white, blue, or green. Before the game, the dealer assigns the chips values. Players may exchange cash for chips at the beginning of the game.

There are two blinds: the small blind and the big blind. Each player receives two hole cards. The player to the left of the big blind is the first player to act. If the blind bets are higher than the big blind, the player must raise their bets before calling. This raise amount varies depending on the game being played.

The player with the best hand wins the pot. Poker can be played with up to eight players, but six to eight players are best. A poker game is played in clockwise rotation, and a player can win a round by having the best poker hand. A player can win the pot by making the highest poker hand or by making a bet and no other players call.

In most poker games, the minimum hand is a pair of jacks. The minimum hand in draw poker is a pair of jacks. This hand requires the player to make a bet before the hand is drawn.