Poker is a card game in which players place chips (representing money) into a pot in order to make a bet. When it is a player’s turn to place chips into the pot, they say “call” or “I call” and must match the amount of the bet made by the person before them. Depending on the rules of a particular poker variant, players may also exchange cards between hands or discard them altogether.

A big part of success in poker is learning to read the actions and expressions of other players. This is a skill that can be applied to other areas of life, particularly in business where it is important to know how to assess people and understand their motivations.

Another part of the game is bluffing. This can be a great way to win a hand when the other players are either too tight or have terrible cards. Bluffing is a skill that requires careful analysis and planning as well as the ability to remain calm under pressure, especially when faced with a tough decision. This can be a difficult thing to learn, but it is something that all good poker players will eventually master.