Poker is a card game that can be played by two or more players. It is generally a game of chance, but it involves a substantial amount of skill and psychology as well.

There are many different poker games, but they all share some basic features. All of them involve betting, raising and revealing a hand. Most involve a standard 52-card pack, with some games adding one or more jokers to the mix. The cards are ranked from high to low: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 7, 6, 4, 2, 1. The highest ranking poker hand is the royal flush.

The player who raises the most during a betting interval wins the pot, which contains all bets made during that period. Often, the final betting interval is called a showdown. At this point, every remaining player reveals their cards to determine who has the best hand.

Some games have blind bets, which occur before each player receives their cards. These bets can replace or in addition to the ante, and they are usually placed by the players clockwise around the table. Some poker games also have a dealer, who is responsible for shuffling the deck and dealing the cards to each player. This role can be played by a non-player, or it can be a regular player. The player who is dealer for a given round will receive a special “dealer” chip, and this chip must be passed to the next dealer after each betting interval.