Poker is a card game played by two or more players. It is a game of skill where the object is to win the pot, which consists of all bets made by players during one deal. The winning player can either have the highest-ranked poker hand or make a bet that no other player calls.

A good poker strategy is to keep track of your opponents’ betting patterns and be ready to fold when your odds are poor. A good poker player will also recognize aggressive players and be able to tell when they are bluffing.

In poker, cards are dealt to each player and then placed face-down in front of them. The dealer changes each round, with the position passing to the player to their left.

The first bet is called the ante and occurs before players see their cards. After this bet, each player has the option to call, raise, or fold their cards.

A good poker hand is a full house, which consists of three matching cards of one rank and two matching cards of another rank. A flush contains five consecutive cards of the same suit. A straight is five consecutive cards that skip around in rank but are from more than one suit. A pair is two cards of the same rank. The value of the highest card determines the winning hand.