Poker is a card game played by two or more people. Each player places an ante into the pot before betting begins. Players then receive five cards each, after which they can discard any number of them and draw replacements from the remaining cards in the deck. The best hand wins the pot. The game of poker evolved from a simpler game known as three-card brag, which was a popular gentleman’s game around the time of the American Revolutionary War.

There are a number of different poker games, but they all share the same general rules. Almost all poker games are played with chips. Each chip is worth a certain amount of money: one white chip is equal to the minimum ante or bet; a red chip is worth ten whites, and a blue chip is worth twenty whites. Depending on the game, players may also exchange chips between rounds.

Players start the game by placing a mandatory bet into the pot (called blinds) placed by 2 players to the left of the dealer. After the first round of betting, the flop is dealt. Then another round of betting occurs. This round is called the turn. A final round of betting is called the river.

The success of a poker hand is mostly determined by chance, but some skill can be helpful. Experienced players often try to read their opponents and determine how they will react. They also keep a file of hands they have played and have observed other players play to build up their own instincts.