How to Play Poker

Poker is a card game that can be played by 2 or more players. A person plays poker to win money from the other players by capturing the pot, which contains bets placed during a hand of poker. Often, a player will raise his bet in the hope that other players will fold their hands and let him keep the pot. This is called bluffing, and it can be very effective at winning pots.

The cards are dealt from a standard pack of 52, with some variant games using multiple packs or adding wild cards (known as jokers). The cards are ranked high to low: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. A poker hand must contain at least two matching cards to be considered a pair. If there are multiple pairs, the higher pair wins.

After each player receives their two cards there is a round of betting, starting with the player to the immediate left of the button (the position where the first bet must go). Each player must contribute a certain amount to the pot during this round. This contribution is determined by the rules of the particular poker variant being played.

When it is your turn to act in the hand you can call, check or fold your hand. To call, you must make a bet equal to the last person’s bet. If you are checking, you cannot raise your bet and must fold if the player to your right calls.