Although its exact origins are obscure, the game of poker has a lot in common with other card games. For example, poker was originally played by Persian settlers, and the word poker originates from the French game poque, which was played in the 17th century. However, recent scholarship has questioned this theory, pointing instead to a European origin for the game. In any case, the underlying principles of the game are the same.

The foundation of the game of poker is its betting intervals. At the end of a round, all bets are gathered in the central pot. The winnings from each round are placed into this pot. As long as the player placed his or her bets during the betting interval, they are considered active players. But the structure of the game does not always resemble that of a real building – it is similar to that of a board game.

Before a poker game starts, players should purchase chips. The lower-valued chip is the white. The next two or three chips are the red and the blue. In games with more than seven players, the players should buy in with the same amount of money. If the pot is full, all the players are required to call. Therefore, it is important to understand the fundamentals of poker before beginning. For example, if the game starts with a blind fold, the first player must bet.