Poker is a card game played by two or more players and involves betting. The object of the game is to win the pot, which is the total sum of all bets made during a hand. There are many different forms of the game. Generally, one or more players must make a forced bet at the start of a hand known as an ante or blind bet (the amount varies by game). The dealer then shuffles the cards and deals each player two cards face down. In some games a fifth community card is revealed and this determines the winning hand.

Players can also bet on their own hands during the course of a hand by saying “call” to match the last person’s bet or raise. This will put chips or cash in the pot for them. If they do not have a high enough hand then they can fold and forfeit their turn for the remainder of the hand.

Some players will try to win a hand without actually having the highest hand by bluffing. This typically involves projecting confidence in their hand and raising the bet to scare off other players. Reading your opponents and noticing subtle physical tells is important in this aspect of the game, including things like eye contact, facial expressions, and body language. These can give away a player’s true intentions and help them to read other players. These tells can be as simple as scratching their nose or playing nervously with their chips.