Poker is a card game played against other players, usually for cash or chips. It has a long history, and different variations exist on the game’s core rules. The goal is to assemble a winning hand using the cards you have been dealt. You can also bluff and try to convince other players that you have a good hand, even when you don’t.

At the beginning of a hand, each player puts in an amount of money called the ante. There is a minimum ante, but the ante can be raised or eliminated entirely in some games. After the antes are placed, the dealer deals each player 2 cards face down. Then the first round of betting begins, starting with the player to the left of the dealer.

After the first betting round is over, the dealer will deal 3 cards face up on the table that anyone can use, this is known as the flop. Then another round of betting starts, starting with the player to the left of your dealer.

When it’s your turn, you can choose to bet, call, or raise. When you say “call,” you put the same amount as the last person in, and when you raise, you increase the previous bet by an amount called the raise. You can also fold, which means you throw your cards away and stay out of the betting for that hand. The person with the best five-card poker hand wins the pot.