A game in which players place chips (representing money, for which the game is named) into a pot according to betting intervals established by the rules of the variant being played. The winner of the pot takes all the chips at the table. There may be a set of rules for how this money is to be shared among the losers at the end of the hand, so that the game is not all-or-nothing.

The game is usually played with a standard pack of 52 cards, but there are many other varieties using different numbers of cards. The most common, however, is poker.

In a typical game each player has two personal cards and five community cards. The highest hand wins the pot. There are several ways to determine the winning hand, including comparing the rank of the individual cards, the relative value of the suits, and how the hands tie together.

During a hand each player has the option to check, raise, call or fold. Players may also bluff by betting that they have the best hand, forcing other players to call their bets or concede defeat. The game also allows players to exchange their cards for replacements during or after the betting phase, depending on the rules of the game.

It is possible to tell when a person has a good hand by watching their body language. For example, a full, ear-to-ear smile and a relaxed posture are signs of a strong hand. Glancing at the player’s chip stacks can also be a clue: A tidy stack usually indicates a solid game while a sloppy one often signifies sloppy play.