Poker is a card game that can be played by two or more players. It is a game of chance, but it also involves some elements of strategy. It is played for money, called the pot, which is accumulated by each player during a deal. The winner of a hand wins all the chips in the pot. There are different rules for different kinds of poker, but the game is essentially the same in all varieties.

In most forms of the game, the object is to win the pot by getting a high-ranking hand or by making a bet that no other player calls. The game is usually played for stakes of $100 or more, though some games are played for much lower stakes. A typical game has six to eight players, although it can be played with any number of people.

Each player puts in an ante wager before being dealt cards. They then look at their hands and decide whether to place a play wager (equal to the amount of the ante) to pit their hand against the dealer’s. Optimal strategy says that players should play hands better than Queen, Six and Four, but they may choose to fold any worse hand.

Once the players have made their decisions, a round of betting begins. Some players are required to make a blind bet, which can either replace the ante or be in addition to it. Once the players have acted, three more cards are revealed in the center of the table, known as the flop. These are community cards that all players can use to build their best 5-card hand.