Poker is a card game played between two or more players. A player may win the pot by making the best hand, by betting a bet that no other player calls, or by bluffing.

To play, a player needs to buy chips, ante, and make an initial bet. The amount of the bet is usually a minimum.

Once each player has purchased their chips, the dealer places them face-up in three positions. The back hand is closest to the player.

Cards are dealt in rotation to the left. The front hand is the farthest away from the player.

Action begins with the first player to act, usually the player who is to the left of the big blind. This person is known as the opener. If the opener folds, the action is passed to the next player in the line.

After the draw, the first round of betting is called an “interval”. The next round of betting is called the “showdown”. Each player must drop their hand and place their cards in the discard pile.

During each betting interval, each player must raise a certain number of chips. One player must raise before the draw, and each must raise at least the same number of chips during the subsequent betting rounds.

In some poker games, a player may be required to make an ante prior to the deal. There are also fixed limit games, where bets cannot exceed a certain number of chips.