How to Play Poker

Poker is a card game played between two or more players with cards and chips. It is a fast-paced game with varying levels of skill and risk. There are dozens of variations of poker, but most involve betting on a hand. The goal of any hand is to win the pot – or all the chips that are placed into it by players.

To begin a poker hand, each player puts in a small amount of money, called the blind or ante. Then the cards are dealt, with each player keeping their own private cards hidden from other players. Then the community cards are revealed in three stages – the flop, turn, and river. The best five-card hand wins the pot.

Most games use a standard 52-card deck. Some people also add one or two jokers to the deck for speeding up the game. The dealer shuffles the deck before dealing each hand. After each deal, the deck is cut and passed clockwise to the next player.

When it’s your turn to act, say “call” to match the last bet. This means you’ll put in the same number of chips as the person to your left. You can also raise your bet if you want to increase it.

Observe other players to learn their tells, or the mannerisms and gestures that indicate how they’re feeling about their poker hands. Reading tells can help you determine if an opponent has an amazing poker hand or just a mediocre one.