Poker is a card game in which players make bets with chips that represent money. The best hand wins the pot, or the total amount of bets made in a deal. Players must also make decisions about when to call, raise, or fold.

Almost all variants of the game involve betting intervals, or “rounds.” During each round, one player makes a bet of one or more chips. Each player in turn must either call that bet by putting into the pot as many chips as the player to his or her left, or raise that bet by putting in more than enough to beat it. If a player does not want to raise, or can’t call, they must drop (fold).

When the betting interval ends, each player shows their cards. The player with the highest-ranking poker hand wins the pot. If there is a tie, the pot is split among the players who hold the same hand.

Most forms of poker can be played with anywhere from two to 14 players. However, the ideal number of players is six to eight. With fewer players, the game can become boring and monotonous. With more players, the game becomes exciting as players try to out-bluff each other.