Poker is a card game in which players wager chips representing money on the outcome of a hand. The game has many variants, but most involve betting and a final hand of five cards. The player with the best hand wins all of the chips that have been placed into the pot. In some games, a player can win multiple sides of the pot by making bets that others call or fold.
A game of poker can be played with or without a dealer. The dealer is responsible for shuffling the cards and dealing them to each player in turn. A “button” is used to indicate who deals the cards, and this button moves clockwise after each round of betting. A player who is not the dealer may also be given a chip to represent that role, but this is not always the case.
The cards are dealt face down to all the players. Each player then takes turns betting. A player who makes a bet must place enough chips in the pot to make his bet at least as large as the bet made by the player to his or her left. A player may also choose not to reveal his or her hand at all, but this forfeits the right to compete for the pot.
The game is sometimes played with one or more wild cards, which can stand for any other card in a player’s hand. These cards can greatly increase the value of a winning hand, especially when combined with a pair.