Poker is a card game played by two or more players. The goal is to make the best five-card hand from your own two cards and the community cards by betting money in a pot. The best hands are the Royal flush, straight, three of a kind, and pair. The dealer deals the cards, and each player places chips into the pot in turn according to the rules of the game.

After the cards are dealt, the players may choose to discard one of their own cards or keep them. The player with the best card wins the pot. A player can also bluff, and this is where the skill of reading other players is essential. Observing the way other players move their hands, how they handle their chips, and other tells will give you information on their intentions that you might not be able to get when they are playing their own cards.

The first player to the left of the button, which moves clockwise after each hand, must place in the pot a number of chips (representing money) that is at least equal to the amount of the previous player’s contribution to the pot. This is called posting the blind. A player can raise this bet to add more money to the pot, which other players must “call.” A player can also fold his or her cards and withdraw from the betting. The bluffing skills of the poker players are often what makes or breaks the success of the game.