Poker is a card game played between two or more players and for an amount of money called the pot. It is a game of chance but also requires skill and strategy to win. There are many different variations of the game, but most involve betting on a hand consisting of five cards. Depending on the variant of poker being played, each player may be required to make a contribution to the pot, called an ante. A player who bets more than the previous bettor is said to raise, while a player who calls the previous bet is said to call.

There are many ways to mislead other players about the strength of your hand in poker. Players can bet small to keep the pot growing, or large to try and intimidate their opponents into folding before “showdown,” when all remaining players reveal their hands and one player collects the pot of money. In poker, high pairs and straights beat other hands such as three of a kind or two pair, while four of a kind is better than a flush or straight.

Every poker player has a tell, or unconscious habits that reveal information about their hand to other players. These can be as simple as a change in body language or as complicated as a gesture. The concept of a tell provides a fascinating metaphor for the way characters can hide their true intentions in fiction, adding layers of complexity and depth to a story.