Poker is a card game that can be played in private homes or at casinos. It is a social game of chance, but also a serious game that requires skill. The best poker players can win thousands of dollars in a single hand.

The game begins with one or more players making forced bets (called antes, blinds, and bring-ins) before the cards are dealt. The dealer deals the cards to the players in rotation, beginning with the player on the left.

In each deal, betting intervals are determined by the specific poker variant being played. The first player to make a bet in each betting interval is called the “poker player” or “dealer.”

After a player has made his first bet, all of the players in that betting interval must add their own money to the pot. This is called “raising.”

If no other player calls a raise by the player who raised it, that player wins the pot.

A bet can be called or matched by another player to add money to the pot, and a raise may be matched or called by anyone else in the same betting round.

When the betting rounds are complete, a showdown takes place between all of the active players. The players with the highest hands reveal their cards.

The player who holds the highest hand in a showdown wins the pot. If two or more people tie for the highest hand, the high card breaks the tie.