Poker is a card game of skill and strategy, where players bet in order to win chips from other players. It is often portrayed as a game of chance, but the long-run expected value of each player depends on the strategic decisions they make. For example, players can choose to bluff by betting that their hand is better than it is (the equivalent of swiping right on Tinder), or they can try to elicit a call from other players by raising their bets.
The standard 52-card pack is used, with a joker (or wild card) sometimes added. A shuffle is normally done before dealing each hand. In casual play, one player is designated as the dealer, with a token called a button (or buck) rotating clockwise among the players to indicate their turn to deal a hand. In a casino, a house dealer handles the cards for each hand.
In a poker game, all players must place some number of chips into the pot to participate in each round. These chips represent money, and are usually referred to as the ante or blind. In addition, some forms of poker require a minimum bet at the beginning of each round.
When it is a player’s turn, they may check (no bet), raise by matching the previous player’s bet, or fold their cards and exit the game. The cards are then revealed, and the highest-ranking hand wins the pot. If no one has a winning hand, the remaining players divide the kitty into equal shares.
