Poker is a card game of skill and chance in which players bet on the strength of their hand of cards. It is a popular pastime in private homes, at casino games and poker clubs, and over the Internet. It has been called the national card game of the United States and its play and jargon permeate American culture.

There are many forms of poker, but all involve betting and a showdown to determine the winner. The player with the highest-ranked hand wins a pot—the sum of all bets placed during that round. There may be several rounds of betting during a hand, and each round ends when all players have either folded or revealed their hand to the other players.

The first round of betting begins after all players have received their two hole cards. Each player must decide whether to call (match the raise of the player to his left), raise it further, or fold (give up and forfeit the money already bet).

A third card is dealt face up on the table, and there is another round of betting. This is called the flop. Then a fourth card is dealt face up on the table, which is called the river. There is another round of betting, and finally, the fifth card is dealt face up—the turn.

A high-ranking poker hand consists of three or more matching cards of one rank, four or five consecutive cards of the same suit, or a straight. Unlike most other card games, ties do not break by rank; they are broken by the highest unmatched cards, secondary pairs, or three of a kind.