Poker is an activity in which players bet money into a pot. The highest combination of cards wins the pot, and the player who has the best hand gets to keep the money.

The game of poker is typically played with a standard 52-card deck. Some games also use a wild card, which is a card that replaces an unmatched one. Wild Cards are used to make the highest possible hand. Other games use multiple packs.

Before the cards are dealt, all of the players in the game are required to ante. This means that each player contributes the same number of chips to the pot.

After the cards are dealt, a betting interval begins. Each player makes a bet in a clockwise manner. A round of betting takes place until a player calls or folds.

If more than one player remains, the showdown takes place. Each player has to show their cards. When a player does not get called, he or she is said to have won.

To determine the order of winners, each player’s chips are counted. These chips are usually made of plastic or ceramic.

The player who is the first to make a bet is called the “first bettor.” He or she is allowed to check, which is a bet of nothing, or raise, which is a bet of 14 chips or more.

All other players then have to match the bet. There is a limit to the amount of bets that can be made.