Poker is a card game with a lot of bluffing and psychology. It’s not just about luck – it’s also about reading your opponents and knowing what their hand is (although the twin elements of luck and skill can cancel each other out over long periods of time).

The rules of Poker vary by variant, but in most games players must first place an amount of money into the pot before they are dealt cards. This is called the ante and may be a fixed amount, or it may be a percentage of the previous player’s bet. When it is your turn to bet, you can call the previous player’s raise (match their amount), raise again, or fold.

After the antes are placed and the cards are dealt, there is usually a round of betting, starting with the player to the left of the dealer. During this round, players can place additional bets into the pot by saying “raise.” This will increase the amount of money in the pot and force weaker hands to fold.

Once the betting round is over, a fifth and final card is dealt face up on the table, which is called the river. The best five-card hand wins the pot. If no one has a good hand, then all bets are collected and the remaining players’ cards are revealed. This is called a showdown.