Poker is a card game played between two or more players and is usually a game of chance, although it can involve considerable skill and psychology. It has many variants but all share a number of common features. It involves betting on a hand of five cards. It can be a good idea to learn some basic rules before playing, as this will help you make better decisions during the game.

A player who makes a bet must place chips in the pot equal to or higher than the total contribution by the player before him. The player who raises the most chips wins the pot. If a player does not want to play a particular hand, he can fold.

The dealer shuffles the cards, then deals each player a number of cards, which may be face-up or down depending on the game. The first player to the left of the dealer must put in a forced bet called an ante or blind bet, and then players take turns to raise this amount.

A good rule of thumb for raising is to raise the amount by at least as much as the player to your right raised in his last turn. A player can also say “I call” if he wants to match the amount that the person to his right bets. Another important part of poker is noticing and understanding players’ tells (eye movements, idiosyncrasies, hand gestures etc). This will allow you to read your opponents and figure out whether they are holding an exceptional hand or just trying to bluff.