Poker is a card game played by two or more players and governed by a set of rules. The aim of the game is to win a pot, which is the sum of all bets made on a deal. The pot is made up of chips (representing money) placed in the centre of the table and may be won by having a superior hand or by betting against other players based on the probability of their hands. Players may also choose to bluff, attempting to deceive other players into thinking they have a better hand than they do. This aspect of the game has its roots in psychology and game theory.

Each player is dealt a number of cards that are placed face-down in front of them, and then the betting phase begins. A player who wants to stay in the pot must place an amount equal to or greater than the total stake of the player before him, and he may raise it further. If he cannot do this, or does not want to, he must fold.

During this stage, the players reveal their cards and the player with the best five-card hand wins the pot. Depending on the variation of the game, it is possible for there to be a tie, in which case the money left in the pot is shared by the players who have it. There are rules about how this money is distributed, and these are often agreed to ahead of time.