Poker is a card game in which players independently try to assemble the best possible hand of cards. It involves betting between players and is usually played with chips (representing money) but can also be played for points or other units. The objective is to win the pot – all the bets placed on a single deal – either by having the highest-ranked hand or by continuing to raise your bet until other players drop out of the hand. Bluffing is often a part of the game, & can help you win the pot even when you don’t have the best hand.

Each deal of the cards starts with one or more forced bets – a bet made by each player to the left of the dealer – called blind bets. The dealer then shuffles the cards, cuts them and deals each player 2 cards face down. There is then a round of betting that can last for some time before another card is dealt – the turn. Then there is another round of betting and the players reveal their hands. The player with the best 5 card poker hand wins the pot – all of the bets made on that round.

The stakes in a Poker game can be very high and if you don’t play at the right level you can easily run out of money. There are rules about how many times a stake can be raised and after a certain number of raises it is usually capped.