Poker is a card game in which players bet on the strength of their hands. It has a wide variety of strategies, and is generally considered to be a game of skill. It can be played by two to 14 players, though games with more than 10 players are rarely encountered.

In most games, before the cards are dealt, each player must put an initial contribution into the pot (representing money). This is called the ante and can range from a nominal amount to a significant sum. This is done to create an incentive for players to play.

Once each player has their 2 hole cards, there is a round of betting initiated by 2 mandatory bets (called blinds) placed into the pot by players to the left of the dealer. Once this happens the flop is revealed, and there is another round of betting.

Each player must either call the current bet in order to continue to participate, raise if they have a strong hand, or fold (discard their hand) if they don’t think they have a winning one. Occasionally, good bluffing can be used to win the pot with a weak hand.

Aside from analyzing their own hand, good poker players must also study the tells of their opponents in order to make informed decisions about what strategy to use. This requires a keen understanding of human nature, especially body language and facial expressions. Poker tells can be as subtle as a slight change in posture or as obvious as a gesture.