Poker is a card game in which players independently try to assemble the best 5-card hand. The best hand wins the pot, which is all the money that was put down as buy-ins at the table. This can be in cash or chips. Players can also “fold,” meaning they give up their cards and leave the table. The game can be played in either cash or tournament play.
Each player has two personal cards (which are known as their hole cards) and five shared community cards. The goal is to make the best 5-card hand using your own cards and the community cards. There is a betting period between each deal, called a round. A player may call, check, or raise a bet. In some situations a player may put all of his or her remaining chips into the pot, which is called going All-in. There are special rules for how this type of bet works, depending on the game variant being played.
The first player to the left of the button must place an initial amount of money into the pot before any cards are dealt. These are called the small and big blinds, and they help to give players something to chase.
After the pre-flop betting phase, three more cards are dealt face up in the center of the table. These are called the flop and they become part of everyone’s community cards. Then there is another betting period.