Poker is a card game played between players and involves betting over a series of rounds. The player with the highest-ranked five-card hand wins the pot. There are many different variations of the game, but all share a few basic rules. The objective of the game is to win as many chips from your opponents as possible by making bets that force them to fold or call your bets with weak hands.

The game begins with each player placing an initial amount of money into the pot (representing money) before being dealt two cards face down. This amount is called the ante or blind, and it is usually made up of equal parts forced bets from all players at the table. Players must also contribute to the pot in some other way, such as a bring-in.

When it is your turn to play you can choose to bet, raise, or fold your hand. When you say “raise” it means that you want to add more money to the pot than the player before you. This is a good idea when you have a strong poker hand and want to force your opponents out of the pot.

After everyone has raised or folded their hands the dealer will deal three more cards on the table that anyone can use (these are called community cards). Then another betting round takes place. This is called the flop. At this stage it is important to look at the other players’ cards and try to figure out what they might have. You can make good bets based on what you think your opponent has by studying their betting behavior in previous hands.

During the third betting interval, the dealer will put a fifth card on the board that anyone can use (called the river). Once again you have a chance to bet and raise, or fold. If you have a high value poker hand then this is the time to bet big, otherwise it is best to fold.

The final betting round is the showdown. At this point all of the remaining players will reveal their cards and the player with the highest ranked poker hand is declared the winner of the pot. Depending on the game, there may be some additional side wagers or extra bets that can increase the pot size even further. When the game ends the winning player will take all of the money in the pot. The rest of the money will go into a special fund, or kitty, that is used to pay for things like new decks of cards and food for the players. Typically, any low-denomination chips left in the kitty are taken by the person who is responsible for raising the most in each betting interval. This person is known as the button player or rake. If no one has a high-ranking poker hand then the remaining chips are divided equally among all players. This is called a split pot.