The game of Poker (from French: “poque”) is a card game for two or more players, where each player places chips (representing money) into the pot prior to betting. The object of the game is to win the pot by having the highest-ranking hand when all bets are placed. A player may bluff to force other players out of their hands and thus raise the value of his or her own hand.

The number of cards dealt varies from 2 to 14, depending on the particular variant being played, but the ideal number is six or seven. The first player to the left of the dealer has the privilege or obligation to make the first bet in a given betting interval, and each subsequent player must place enough chips into the pot to make his contribution at least equal to that of the previous player.

When it is your turn to bet, you can say “call” to match the last player’s bet or raise it. You can also simply check, which means that you pass on your turn and wait for the other players to act before raising again if necessary.

A player’s skill in Poker depends on his or her ability to decide when to call and how much to bet, as well as to read the actions of other players in order to spot bluffs. This decision making under uncertainty, whether in poker or other areas of life, requires the use of probability theory, psychology, and general game theory.