Poker is a card game of chance that involves betting among players. It can be played with any number of players from 2 to 14, but ideal poker games have 6 to 8 players. The object of the game is to win the pot, which is the sum of all bets made on a hand. Players may win the pot by having a high-ranking poker hand or by making a bet that no one else calls.

A hand of five consecutive cards of the same suit (straight), or three matching cards of any rank (full house), or two pairs (two cards of the same rank plus two other unmatched cards) is a high-ranking poker hand. There are many variations of poker, and there are other card games that share some of its features.

The rules of poker are generally the same across variations, but there are differences in card decks and rules of betting. For example, the standard poker deck has 52 cards, but some games use a 53-card deck that includes the joker as a wild card.

A successful player must be able to read the other players at the table. This requires paying attention to subtle physical poker tells, and it also requires analyzing their betting patterns. For example, if a player often raises the stakes early in a hand, they are likely to have a strong hand. On the other hand, players who fold early can often be bluffed into calling by more aggressive players.