Poker is a card game in which players bet against one another by placing chips into the pot. The game consists of several rounds of betting, and the player with the best hand wins all of the money in the pot. While poker contains some strategic elements, it is mostly a game of chance.

In the modern game, each player is dealt two cards face down. Depending on the variant of the game, they may then choose to fold, call or raise. When a player folds, they forfeit any bets they have already placed. When a player calls, they place a bet equal to the amount that the previous player placed. If a player raises, they place a bet higher than the amount that the previous player raised.

The rules of poker vary slightly between games, but most share the same basic structure. Initially, the game was considered to be a gambling game for men only and was unsuitable for polite or mixed gatherings. However, it became increasingly popular during the 1920s and now is played by both sexes at all levels of society.

The game is usually played from a standard 52-card pack, with the addition of wild cards (jokers) in some variants. The cards are ranked in order from high to low: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3. Each player must place an initial bet into the pot before being dealt their first two cards. These are called forced bets, and they come in the form of antes or blind bets.