When playing poker, you’ll be forced to make forced bets, such as an ante or a blind bet. Each hand has five cards, and the dealer then shuffles and cuts the deck. Each player is dealt a single card, usually face-up or face-down. Players can develop their poker hands between rounds, deciding whether to call, fold, or reraise. Depending on the game variation, the player with the highest hand wins.

Before the first round of betting, players will often have to make a contribution to the pot. This is called the ante. The first player to make a bet is said to bet. The next player who matches the previous bettor’s bet is said to call. If the other players know the slang, the “r” is added to confuse them. Once everyone in the hand has placed a bet, the betting period ends.

Before the game begins, the players will place their ante bets. The blind bet is the first bet, and is placed before the first bet. Once all players have seen their cards, the first betting phase begins. This typically starts with the player to the left of the dealer. If the dealer is the active player, the betting phase will begin when all players have seen their cards. The first betting round is called the ante.