The game of Poker has a betting structure that varies among the many variants. In some varieties, the first bet is made by one player, who has the right, but not the obligation, to do so. During the betting phase, each player must place a certain number of chips into the pot equal to the contributions of all players before him. This player is referred to as an active player. If he does not make a bet, then he is not an active player.
If a player raises his or her stake, all other players must fold, call, or raise. At this stage, some players may have already dropped out and the remaining players will have the same stake value. However, each player may discard one, two, or three cards, increasing the ranking of his or her hand. After this, the game of Poker ends with the Showdown. The remaining players are awarded the chips. Depending on the number of players, a person may have to raise his or her stake more than once, if he or she has a good hand.
In some variants of poker, blind bets are required before each hand is played. These bets can replace the ante or be added to it. Each round, the blind bet requirement is rotated around the table. The players then take turns making the blind bets. If a player wins the blind bet, they must call the bet before checking their cards. If the players cannot decide which bets to make, they must continue playing until one of them wins the pot.