Poker is a card game that involves skill, strategy and chance. Players gamble with money or chips on the outcome determined by the cards randomly distributed to them. Players can win by having the best hand or by bluffing. There are several ways to make a bet in poker, including the amount of the bet and whether it is raised or called. The amount a player bets depends on a combination of factors, such as the expected value of their hand and their ability to estimate the actions of others.
The game is usually played with poker chips, which have different values based on color and denomination. Each player buys in for a certain number of chips. Typically, a white chip is worth the minimum ante or bet; a red chip is worth five whites; and blue chips are worth 10, 20 or 25 whites.
A round of betting begins after each player receives two hole cards. The first player to act may choose to call the bet or raise it. The players to the left of this player then place their chips into the pot if they wish to stay in the game. A player can also drop, which means they do not put any chips into the pot and forfeit any previously made bets.
Once the betting phase is over, each remaining player reveals their hand and a winner is declared. The winning hand takes the pot. In some variants of poker, the joker (called a bug) counts as a wild card and can be used to form a flush, a straight or certain special hands.