Poker is a card game that is played on a table with a regular 52-card deck. Players make bets on their poker hands and try to get other players to match their bets. If the best hand wins, the winner takes the pot. In some games, a player may win by bluffing.

Poker can be played with any number of players. The ideal number is six to eight. However, most games limit the number of players to eight or nine. This allows for faster elimination of the pot.

The poker deck is dealt face up, beginning with the dealer. Each player is given one card and the cards are rotated clockwise around the table. After the cards are dealt, the dealer has the last card. Alternatively, the dealer can give the shuffled deck to an opponent.

The first player has the privilege of making the first bet. After that, the turn to bet passes from player to player.

There are three betting structures: fixed limit, pot limit, and no limit. Fixed-limit poker involves standard betting amounts and standardized raising amounts. During the final betting interval, the limit is usually doubled.

Pot-limit poker is a variant that lets a player bet anything up to the size of the pot. The pot is the aggregate of all bets made by all players during a deal. During the final betting round, the pot can be won by the highest-ranking poker hand. Alternatively, a player can make a bet that no other player calls.