The Basics of Poker

Poker is a card game played with chips and involves both skill and luck. It can be played as a cash game or in a tournament. There are many different poker variants and the game can be very fast paced. The game can be played by 2 to 14 players and the object is to win the pot, which is the sum of all bets made during one deal.

Before the cards are dealt, there are two mandatory bets called blinds placed into the pot by the players to the left of the dealer. These bets are designed to encourage people to play by providing an incentive (a chance to win) for them to place money into the pot. After the blinds have been placed, the cards are dealt face up in a round of betting.

A player may choose to either call the bets or raise them. If a player raises, they must put in enough chips to match the amount that was raised before them. If a player puts in less than this, they are said to fold.

A winning poker hand is determined by the ranking of the highest card in the hand. A full house is a three card combination of the same rank, a pair is two cards of the same rank, and a straight is five consecutive cards from the same suit. A tie is resolved by comparing the rank of the fifth card in each hand.