Poker is a card game played by two or more players and involves betting money. The goal is to have a higher-ranking hand than your opponents at the end of a betting round. There are many forms of poker, and the number of players varies from 2 to 14. Typically, one or more players are required to place an initial amount of money into the pot before cards are dealt. These bets are called antes or blinds. After the initial bets, players may raise and reraise their chips. The player with the highest-ranking hand wins the pot.

The first step to learning how to play poker is getting familiar with the rules of the game. You can practice on the computer for free or at a live game with friends before you start betting real money. It’s also important to read about the game and observe how experienced players react so you can develop quick instincts.

Depending on the rules of the game, each player has two personal cards and five community cards that they use to make a hand. A high-ranking poker hand can include three matching cards of equal rank or five consecutive cards of the same suit. Moreover, it is possible to win the pot (all of the bets made on any deal) without showing your hand.

In most poker games, the player to the left of the dealer begins the betting phase. Players can call, check or fold. If they choose to call, they must place the same amount of money into the pot as the player before them. Depending on the game, some players choose to reveal their cards before betting continues, while others do not.

After the pre-flop betting phase, 3 additional cards are dealt face-up in the center of the table. These cards are called the flop and can be used by each player to make their final 5-card hand. The betting phase again begins with the player to the left of the big blind.

After the flop, players can choose to discard their cards and draw replacements or hold their cards. They can also place a higher bet than the last player by saying “raise” or “call.” If another player calls your raise, they must match it or fold their cards. If no one else raises, you can say “hold pat” or “check,” which means you do not want to increase the bet. If the player to your right raises their bet, you can also say “I open.”