Poker is a card game that involves betting and the ability to read your opponents. It can be played with any number of players, but most forms involve a table and chips (representing money) that are placed in the pot when it is your turn to act. The object of the game is to win the “pot” by having the highest-ranking poker hand at the end of a betting interval. The amount that is bet during a given betting interval depends on the specific poker variant being played.
When you call a bet, you agree to place a amount of money in the pot that is equal to or higher than the bet made by the player before you. For example, if the person to your left raises their bet, you can say “I call” to make a bet that is equal to their previous bet.
The first round of betting begins after all players have received their 2 hole cards. This is usually started by two mandatory bets called blinds, which are put into the pot by the 2 players to the left of the dealer.
The second and third cards are dealt face up and there is another betting interval. The fifth and final card is then dealt face up and there is a showdown in which the player with the best 5 card poker hand wins the pot. The skill in poker is not in getting the luckiest hands, but rather in minimizing losses with poor hands and maximizing wins with good ones.