Poker is a card game in which players bet into a communal pot (the “pot”) by raising or folding their cards. Each player has two personal cards that he or she can use along with the five community cards on the table. The highest hand wins the pot. Depending on the game, players may also exchange their cards during or after the betting round.

There are many different forms of poker, but they all share certain features. In most variants, each player puts in forced bets (either an ante or a blind bet), and the dealer shuffles and cuts the deck. Then the players are dealt a number of cards (usually two, but sometimes more) face down. The player to the left of the big blind acts first in each round of betting, and can choose to fold, call or raise.

Once the initial betting is complete, the dealer deals three more community cards face-up on the table – these are known as the “flop.” Then each player must act again, either by checking or raising.

The best way to learn to play poker is by reading the other players’ tells – their body language, eye movements and idiosyncrasies. This helps you to know when they’re bluffing or holding a strong hand.