Poker is a card game in which players wager money (or chips) against each other. It is a family of games, some related to bluffing, and is played in casinos, private homes, and clubs. It is considered the national card game of the United States, where it has become an integral part of American culture. It is a game that relies heavily on chance, but also involves skill and psychology.

The object of poker is to have the highest-ranking hand at the end of one or more betting intervals, called deals, in accordance with the rules of the variant being played. The player with the best hand wins the pot, which is the sum of all bets placed by players in that deal. Each player must place chips into the pot equal to the amount of the bet made by the player before him.

A player may raise, call, or fold during a betting interval. A raised bet is a sign that a player has a good hand; calling means he has a weak hand and should fold; and folding is giving up a bet without a showdown.

There are many different poker variants, but most involve dealing a hand of cards to each player. The cards are arranged in a row and are face up or down. The player on the right of the dealer has the option to cut the deck, and the shuffled pack is then dealt by the dealer to each player in turn, beginning with the player to his left.