Poker is a card game in which players compete to assemble the highest-ranking hand of cards and win cash or chips. While the outcome of any particular hand involves considerable luck, over time players can improve their chances of winning by using techniques based on probability, psychology, and game theory. Poker is a great game for social gatherings because it can be played with large or small groups of people and is a fast-paced, high-energy game. Articles about Poker should explain the rules of the game, provide entertaining anecdotes about previous hands, and describe various strategies that can be used during play, such as betting and tells (unconscious habits displayed by a player during gameplay that reveal information about their hand).

In a typical Poker game, one or more players place forced bets (an ante or blind bet) before the dealer shuffles and deals each player five cards. Then the first of what may be several betting rounds begins. After each round, players have the option to discard and draw additional cards, or to “hold pat” on their current hand.

The higher the rank of a poker hand, the more money it is worth. A royal flush is the highest possible hand and wins the entire pot. A straight is five consecutive cards of the same rank. Three of a kind is three matching cards of one rank and two unmatched cards of another. A flush is any five cards of the same suit that skip around in rank or sequence.