Poker is a card game played by two or more players. The objective is to win the “pot,” which is the sum of all bets made by players in one round. The pot may be won by having the highest-ranking poker hand or by making a bet that no other player calls. The game is often fast-paced and requires a high level of concentration.

The game begins with each player making a forced bet, called an ante or blind bet. This is placed into a central pool called the pot before cards are dealt. Once all players have 2 hole cards, a round of betting begins with the player to the left of the dealer. If a player wishes to add money to the pot, they must say “raise” and the other players can choose to either call the raise or fold.

A poker hand consists of 5 cards of the same rank. The highest-ranking hand is a royal flush, which consists of a 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace of the same suit. Other popular hands include a straight flush, three of a kind, and four of a kind. Poker also involves bluffing and the use of body language to give clues about a player’s hand. This can be done through eye contact, facial expressions, and other gestures. These clues are called tells and can be extremely valuable to the players.