Poker is a card game of chance that involves assessing the relative strength of your hand and betting chips into a common pot. Players may choose to bet based on their beliefs that they have a strong hand or for strategic reasons. A player’s decision to call or raise a bet is determined by their understanding of probability, game theory, and psychology.

Each round of poker consists of one or more betting intervals. Each time betting comes around the table a player can either call (match) or raise the amount of money bet by the person before them. A player who raises must raise at least the same amount of money as the highest previous bet or fold his hand.

Once the first betting round is complete the dealer deals three cards face up on the board that anyone can use. This is called the flop. Again each player gets a chance to bet or check. When the betting rounds are complete the dealer puts a fourth card on the board that anyone can use. This step is called the turn.

If any player has a high-ranked poker hand at the end of the final betting round he wins the pot. If no player has a high-ranked poker hand then the remaining players reveal their cards and the highest hand wins the pot. A player who folds at any stage of the poker hand loses his share of the pot.