Poker is a card game in which players place chips or cash into the center of the table to create a pot. The player with the highest hand wins all the money in the pot. Most games require an initial ante (the amount of which varies by game) to be dealt cards. Then, betting occurs in a clockwise manner around the table.

When a player raises, other players may choose to call or fold. A call means to make a bet equal to the last person’s raise. A fold means to give up a hand without raising.

Players must reveal their hands at the end of a round in order to win the pot. Ties are resolved by looking at the highest-ranking cards in each hand. If no high-ranking cards are present, then a high card is used to break the tie.

It is important to understand how to read a game in order to play it well. Observe the other players’ betting patterns to see who is more conservative and who is more aggressive. A more conservative player will be more likely to fold early and can often be bluffed into folding by an aggressive player.

Poker has a wide variety of variants. The best known of these is Texas Hold’em, which is played for high stakes. Other variations include Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, Cincinnati Lowball, and Dr. Pepper. In addition, many different games can be played with the same basic rules by modifying the number of cards and the payouts.