Poker is a card game in which players compete for an amount of money or chips contributed by all other players (the pot). The game varies from a small number of people around a table to thousands of players in large tournaments. Some variants of the game use fixed betting rules, while others have no such restrictions. The game is a skillful and challenging form of gambling that requires strategic thinking to make the best decisions under uncertainty.
In most cases, the player with the strongest hand wins the pot. However, in a few variants of the game, a single player can win the entire pot. The game also offers many mechanisms by which players can misinform each other about the strength of their hands. Players with weak hands often bet small amounts to keep the pot growing, while those with strong hands might make large bets in an attempt to intimidate their opponents into folding before the showdown.
The game is typically played with a dealer, who is responsible for shuffling the cards and dealing them to the players. The dealer may be a non-player, or the position may rotate among the players after each round of play. After the cards are dealt, each player has a set of options for their action: they can fold, check, call or raise. This is a fundamental part of the process, and every poker player should be constantly trying to improve this aspect of their game.