Poker is a card game in which players place chips (representing money) into a pot and then bet on the strength of their cards. The goal is to win the total amount of bets placed in one round, called the pot. This can be achieved by having the highest-ranking hand or by making a bet that no other player calls. The game can be played with any number of players, although it is usually best with six or more.
The rules of poker vary according to the variant being played, but all involve betting intervals and a showdown with the best five-card hand. There are rules for when a player may call or raise bets, and players can also choose to fold their cards. When a player folds, they give up all of their own bets that round.
In poker, a hand consists of five cards, and ties are decided by the rank of the highest card in the hand. If there are two hands of equal rank, they split the pot.
The game can be complicated by various strategies, including deception. Bluffing is the act of pretending that you have a strong hand when you do not; it is often used to induce opponents to fold superior hands. Slow play is another form of deception, in which a player with a weak hand intentionally makes small bets to make the pot grow in the hope that opponents will think that they have a good hand and call their bets.