The Basics of Poker

Poker is a card game in which players try to form the best hand of cards they can. It is played with a standard deck of 52 cards and chips, which stand in for money.

There are several types of poker, with different rules and playing structures. The main goal of the game is to win a pool, called the pot, which is made up of all the money bet in each deal. It may be won by having the highest hand or by making a bet that no other player calls.

Each player is dealt a hand of cards face up. The first player to the left of the dealer, who is usually called the small blind, acts first in each betting interval (round) by folding or calling; he can also raise his own bet.

Betting rounds occur one or more times during each deal, and are interrupted by a showdown in which the hole cards of all active players are shown. After the showdown, the dealer deals a new set of cards face up to each player.

A hand is a grouping of five cards. It can be the five cards that a player is dealt or a combination of five of a player’s own cards and the five community cards. It can also include a kicker, which is the highest card remaining in a high-card hand or the top card in a hand that leaves out a player’s cards.