Poker is a card game that involves betting between players. Each player places chips (representing money) into the pot in accordance with the rules of the specific poker variant being played. A player may also choose to place additional chips in the pot if he is willing to increase his stake, or “raise.” Players can bluff by betting that they have a good hand when in reality they do not, and can win by doing so if players holding superior hands do not call the raise.

A round of betting begins after each player receives 2 hole cards. The first player to the left of the dealer must put in a forced bet, called blinds, which are made up of two mandatory bets placed into the pot by players before him.

After the flop is dealt, another round of betting commences with the player to the left of the dealer. Once all players have acted, the turn of the next player is to decide whether to call or raise the previous player’s bet or fold his hand.

There are a variety of different poker variants, but all of them have the same basic rules. The most popular form of poker is the cash game, which is a fast-paced game where each player is only responsible for raising his own bets until one player has all the chips or everyone else folds. Tournament poker is a more formalized version of this game and often takes place in card rooms, bars, community centers, or universities.