Poker is a card game that requires skill and psychology. The object of the game is to win a pot (the total amount of chips bet in any one round), by having the highest-ranking poker hand at the showdown. There are many different ways to play poker, including betting aggressively and bluffing. Players also have to be able to read “tells,” which are unconscious habits that reveal information about the player’s hand.

Before the game starts, the players each buy in for a certain number of chips. The game is played using chips of varying colors and values. A white chip is worth the minimum ante or bet; a red chip is worth five whites; and a blue chip is worth 10 whites. During each betting interval, called a “round,” the player to the left of the dealer places a bet of one or more chips into the pot. Other players may call that bet, raise it, or drop out. The latter option involves losing all the chips that have been bet so far.

After the betting phase, each player reveals their cards. The player with the best hand wins the pot, and the rest of the chips are shared among all remaining players. Players can also choose to not reveal their cards and stay in the game, but they cannot win the pot unless they call a raise. The most common poker hands are a pair, three of a kind, straight, full house, and a flush.