Poker is a game of chance and strategy. It has become a spectator sport and there are tournaments that attract large audiences. Its popularity has grown in part because of the invention of hole card cameras and the introduction of online poker which enabled players to follow the action from their home.

The basic objective of the game is to win pots (money or chips) by participating in betting rounds. The player who has the highest-ranked poker hand wins the pot. The game is played with two to 14 people, but the ideal number of players is six or seven. There are many different variations of the game, but all share certain similarities. Despite the many rules and strategies, all players must understand the game’s fundamentals.

Once the antes and blind bets are placed, the dealer shuffles the cards and deals them to each player one at a time. The player to the right of the dealer cuts the cards. Then, the first of several betting rounds begins.

After the flop, another betting round occurs. This is when players can improve their hand by discarding unwanted cards or using the flop as the basis for a new hand.

During the final betting round, each player exposes their cards and compares them with those of the other players to determine the winner(s). If no other player has a better poker hand, the last remaining player wins the pot. This is known as the Showdown.