Poker is a card game in which players bet on the strength of their hands. A player who has a strong hand will bet and hope to push the other players out of the hand. Likewise, if a player has a weak hand they will fold.
The game is played using a small number of chips (usually white and light-colored) that are worth different values depending on the game. Generally, a white chip is worth the minimum ante or bet; a red chip is worth five white chips; and blue chips are worth 10 or more white chips. The chips are placed in a pot and each player contributes one unit of wagering to the pot for every bet they make.
After the antes or blind bets are made, the dealer shuffles the cards and deals them to each player, starting with the player to his left. Some variants of poker require a forced bet, but in general betting is a voluntary act that is chosen on the basis of probability, psychology and other factors.
Each player must either call a bet, raise it or drop out of the hand. When a player drops out they lose any money they have put into the pot and discard their cards. Typically the game is played in a series of betting intervals or rounds.
Once the first betting round is complete the dealer will deal three cards face up on the table that are community cards that everyone can use to create a poker hand. This is called the flop. After this the dealer will deal a fourth card that is also a community card, which is known as the turn. Finally the fifth and final community card will be revealed, which is called the river.
After all of the cards are dealt and there are bets made it is time for the showdown. Each player will then reveal their hand and the winner is declared. If there is a tie between players the winner is determined by whoever has the highest poker hand.
A poker hand must consist of five cards. There are several different types of poker hands: Straights, Flushes and 3 of a kind. A Straight consists of 5 cards that are consecutive in rank, while a flush is 5 cards of the same suit. A 3 of a kind is three matching cards, while 2 pair are two cards of the same rank plus three unmatched cards. In some poker games the kicker is used to break ties.
