Poker is a card game in which players place bets against each other, with the money raised going into the pot. The game is played with one or more decks of cards and has many variants, all involving betting. The outcome of a hand depends on the skill of the players, the quality of their cards, and other factors that involve chance. The best hand wins the pot.

A standard poker hand consists of five cards. A full house contains three matching cards of one rank, two matching cards of another rank, and a pair of unmatched cards; a flush consists of five consecutive cards of the same suit; and a straight contains five cards of the same rank in sequence but from more than one suit. If more than one player remains after the final betting round, a showdown takes place in which the players reveal their cards. The player with the highest hand according to the game rules wins the pot.

The game is usually played with a minimum of two players and maximum of six. Each player puts an ante (an amount that varies by game) before being dealt cards. Players can then choose to fold, call a bet, or raise it. Saying “call” means that you want to bet the same amount as the person in front of you, and this adds your bet to the pot.

Saying “raise” adds more money to the pot, and this makes it more likely that other players will call your bet. Typically, you raise when you have a strong opening hand, such as a pair of Kings or Aces.