Poker is a card game in which players wager money, called chips, on the outcome of a hand of five cards. The value of a hand is in inverse proportion to its mathematical frequency; a rarer combination of cards has a higher rank. Players may also make bluffs by betting that they have a good hand when they do not, hoping to win the pot from other players who call the bet. The winning player receives all the money in the pot, including the buy-in amount that the player contributed to the round.

In the beginning of a poker game, each player is dealt two cards face down (hidden from other players) which they use to build a five-card hand. Then three cards are revealed at the center of the table, called the flop. These cards are community cards which all players can use to improve their own hands. This is when the betting phase starts, usually with the player to the left of the button.

Each player may choose to call, raise or fold, depending on the situation and their knowledge of the other players’ hands. To call, a player must bet an amount equal to or greater than the last player’s bet. To raise, a player must bet more than the last player. To fold, a player must give up all the money they bet that round. Often, a player who folds will not participate in the next betting round.