Poker is a card game played between two or more players. The game involves betting and has an element of chance, but it also relies on bluffing and other psychological strategies.

The game is usually played with a fixed number of cards, and the object is to win the pot (the sum of bets placed in the center). Players must first place an initial bet, called the ante, before being dealt a hand. The player with the highest poker hand wins the pot.

Each player takes turns betting, in turn beginning with the player to his or her immediate left. If a player wishes to bet more than the last player, he or she must say “I open” before placing his or her bet.

After the first betting interval is complete, the dealer deals three community cards face-up on the table. These are the flop. The active players then decide whether to continue in the hand or fold.

A poker hand consists of 5 cards and can be made up of a straight, flush, 3 of a kind, or 2 pair. A straight consists of five consecutive cards of the same rank. A flush consists of five cards of the same suit, but these may skip around in rank or sequence. A 3 of a kind consists of three matching cards of the same rank, while 2 pairs consist of two cards of one rank and two cards of another rank.