Poker is a card game in which players bet with chips that represent money. The game has many variants, but the most popular are cash games and tournament play. The game is characterized by betting rounds, with each player having the option to call or raise each time. The highest hand wins the pot. The game is often played by multiple players, each with their own deck of cards.
One of the most important aspects of poker is learning how to read your opponents. This is achieved by observing subtle physical tells and analyzing the way that each player plays the game. You can find patterns in their play, such as when a player always folds to a 3-bet, and exploit these tendencies.
The game starts with each player placing a forced bet, called an ante or blind bet. The dealer then shuffles the cards, cuts them and deals each player two face-down cards and one face up. The player to the left of each player places a bet into the pot, and the rest of the players can either call the bet or raise it.
After all players have raised their bets, the flop is dealt and the best five-card hand wins the pot. A pair of cards of the same rank is a straight, while three of a kind makes a full house. A flush is any five consecutive cards of the same suit. A straight flush is also known as a royal flush, and it is the highest possible hand.