Poker is a card game of high stakes, where the cards are used to build a hand and win the pot. The game has many variations and is played in casinos and private games around the world. It also has a strong following in the Internet and is a popular spectator sport. The game is a combination of strategy, psychology, and chance.

In the early 21st century, poker gained widespread popularity in the United States and elsewhere, largely due to the advent of online gaming and television coverage of poker tournaments. The game has a rich history, with the earliest known game in Europe dating back to the 17th century.

The rules and history of poker are complex, and there is still debate about its origins. Some say that it developed in China, while others claim it is based on the 17th-century French card game poque, or its German equivalent, primero. Whatever its roots, it was spread in America during the American Civil War by soldiers returning home.

There are hundreds of poker variants, but most games follow the same general structure. One or more players make forced bets, often an ante and a blind bet, and the dealer shuffles the cards and cuts. He then deals the cards to each player, one at a time, beginning with the player on his left. The cards may be dealt face up or face down, depending on the variant being played. A series of betting rounds follows, with each player placing chips in the pot in turn, or calling a bet made by a player before him.

Each player’s goal is to create a five-card poker hand. The highest-ranking poker hands include a straight, three of a kind, and two pairs. A pair is formed by two identical cards of the same value, such as a pair of sixes or a pair of eights. Three of a kind is three cards of the same rank, such as three eights or three nines. A straight is a sequence of consecutive cards of the same suit, such as four hearts or four spades.

Poker can be played by any number of people, but the ideal is seven or more players. When the game is played with fewer than seven players, some of the players can form side pots, in which they compete for additional prizes. When a player calls another’s bet, he must either call the entire pot or fold his hand.

The game is usually played with poker chips, with each color having a different worth. White chips, for example, are the lowest-valued chips, and are worth a minimum of the ante or bet. Red chips are worth the next higher amount, and blue chips are worth the most valuable, or “high roller” bets. A player can raise the amount of a bet by saying “raise,” or adding more money to the betting pool, but must always raise a minimum of the amount required for a call.