Poker is a card game of chance that also requires a certain degree of skill. It can be played with any number of players and the object is to win the pot, which consists of all of the chips that have been bet by players in any one deal. There are a few different ways to play poker but the basic rules remain the same in all variations.
Most games involve betting some amount (called an ante) before you are dealt cards that you keep hidden from your opponents. Players then have the opportunity to raise or fold. When the betting round ends the player with the highest hand wins the pot.
Each betting interval, or round, begins when a player puts a set number of chips into the pot. Players then have the option to either call (put in the same number of chips as the last player to stay in the pot), raise (bet more than the previous player) or fold. If a player folds they forfeit their hand and are not eligible to play in the next round.
After the flop is revealed another betting round takes place. If no player has a high enough hand to win the pot then we go to the river which is the final community card. In the last betting round everyone gets a final opportunity to check, call, raise or fold. If no player has a high enough poker hand to win the pot then the dealer wins.