Poker is a card game in which players place bets based on the strength of their cards and their guesses about what other players might have. It’s a game of chance, but also one that can be improved by learning basic rules and strategies.

Before anyone gets dealt cards, all players must put up an amount of money to play. This is called the ante. If a player doesn’t want to put up any money, they can fold their hand.

When a player’s turn comes, they can either call (match the amount of money the person before them put into the pot) or raise it. The higher the raise, the better their chances of winning. However, raising can be risky if the player has a weak hand.

After the first betting round is over, the dealer reveals three more community cards on the table. This is the flop. Players must now bet again based on their best five-card poker hand.

Once the betting is done for the flop, the dealer will reveal the fourth community card. This is the turn. The final betting round is the river, which reveals the fifth community card. At this point, you must decide if your poker hand is good enough to continue into the showdown, or whether it’s time to fold. The player with the best hand wins the pot.