Poker is a family of card games where players compare their hands against those of other players. It is played worldwide, and the rules vary by region.

In poker, players can bet or fold their cards. They can also “check” if they are not sure of their hand and would rather stay in the game without betting.

The goal of poker is to make the best possible hand. This is done by combining a player’s cards with the cards in the game. A hand is made up of at least five cards, and may be a straight, flush, pair of high cards, or three of a kind.

Depending on the type of poker, players are dealt one or more cards face up and one or more face down. The cards are then dealt again, and the players are allowed to bet or fold their hand.

Some forms of poker require forced bets, known as blinds. In these, a player to the left of the dealer (called a small blind) and another player to the right of the dealer (called a big blind) are required to contribute money to the pot before the cards are dealt.

The first bettor in each betting interval is the player with the highest-ranking poker combination in his faceup cards. If two or more players have the same combinations, then the first bettor is chosen by the one with the lowest-ranking poker combination, who is called the “first” player.