Poker is a card game played by two or more players. The objective is to win the pot, which consists of all bets made during a deal. The player with the highest-ranking hand wins the pot. The game can be played with any number of cards, but is most commonly played with six or eight. There are many variants of the game, but most share some basic features.

The game begins with each player receiving 2 hole cards. There is then a round of betting. There are a few mandatory bets called blinds put into the pot by the players to the left of the dealer to create an incentive for people to play.

After the flop, turn and river are dealt there is another round of betting. Each player can call, raise or fold. If a player has a high-ranking hand they will often call. If they have a low-ranking hand, they will often fold.

When playing, it is important to study the rules of poker and learn the rank of each hand. It is also important to observe other players and watch for tells. Tells can be anything from fiddling with their chips to looking around the table or even talking. Observing other players can help you determine their strength of their hands and help improve your own strategy.

During each betting interval, or round, the first player to act will place a bet. Players can choose to check (not bet any money), call (match the previous player’s bet) or raise (put in more than a call). The action then continues clockwise.