Poker is a card game in which players wager chips (representing money) on the outcome of a hand. It is played in casinos, private homes, and card rooms, and is widely broadcast over television and the internet. Poker is considered to be a game of chance, but it also relies on skill, knowledge, and understanding of the other players’ behavior.

The game may involve any number of cards from two to 14, and there are many different ways to organize the deal and betting, depending on the poker variant being played. The aim is to have the highest-ranking hand at the end of the dealing, which is called a showdown. Players can win the main pot or various side-pots, depending on how their cards rank in comparison to those of other players.

Each player begins the betting interval by placing chips into the pot. The first player to act, as designated by the rules of the specific poker variant being played, must either call the amount of the bet placed by the previous player or raise it. Players may also “check” if they don’t wish to place any chips into the pot.

While luck plays a large role in poker, the long-run expectations of players are determined by actions they choose on the basis of probability, psychology, and game theory. For example, players who choose to bluff in the face of other players’ tells are likely to improve their expected return over time.