Poker is a card game played by 2 or more players with chips (representing money) in a betting pot. Each player starts with two cards and aims to make the best five card hand possible. The betting around the table continues until all players have folded or there are no more bets to call. A fifth card is then dealt face up, this is called the river and there is one final round of betting. The player with the highest 5 card hand wins the pot.

The game is normally played from a standard pack of 52 cards, with the exception of some poker variants that use multiple packs or include wild cards (usually jokers). Cards are ranked in ascending order from high to low; Ace, King, Queen, Jack and 10 all have the same value. There are four suits, spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs, but only the suit of the card being played determines its rank; for example a Queen in a heart suit beats a diamond in a club suit.

In most poker games, a player has the option of making any number of calls during each betting interval. This is called being “in the pot.” The player can also raise a bet and, if no other players call, continue betting until he folds. A player can also check, which means that he doesn’t place any chips into the pot.