Poker is a card game played by two or more players. Its objective is to win a pot, the sum of all bets made during one deal. The pot may be won by having the highest-ranking poker hand, or by making a bet that no other player calls. There are many variations of the game, but they all share certain principles.

Before a poker game starts, players must buy in with chips representing money. Usually, each player purchases chips that are worth the minimum ante or bet amount. There are often rules for how this money is shared after the game ends.

The dealer shuffles the cards, and then deals them to each player, one at a time. The player to the right of the dealer cuts. The first player to act places a bet into the pot (the pool of shared bets). This player can call, check or fold. If they choose to fold, they must discard their cards and forfeit any rights to the accumulated pot.

After betting is complete, the remaining players reveal their hands and the player with the best poker hand wins the pot. Players can also bluff, by betting that they have a superior hand when in fact they do not. It is possible to tell if another player is bluffing by observing their body language, idiosyncrasies and betting patterns. Players who are more conservative in their play are more likely to be able to read other players’ tells.