Poker is a card game in which players place chips (representing money) into the pot based on their decisions at each stage of the hand. The goal is to win the hand by having a high-ranked combination of cards or by betting that you have a higher hand than other players until they drop out. Unlike other casino games, in which players are forced to place chips into the pot, bets in poker are voluntary and made by a player who believes that his or her action has positive expected value or is trying to bluff other players for strategic reasons. Poker is also a mental game, requiring players to make fast decisions with incomplete information.

In a game of poker, each player is dealt 2 hole cards. Then there is a round of betting, started by the two players to the left of the dealer. After the bets are placed, another card is dealt face up and there is a second round of betting. Then the final card is dealt face up and there is ONE more round of betting.

During a game of poker, players often try to learn as much as possible about their opponents, including their physical tells. These tells can be as simple as a change in the way a player holds their cards or as complicated as a body language or facial expression. This information is used to determine whether or not to call, raise, or fold.