Poker is a card game that involves betting between players, and often includes the element of bluffing. The game has many variations, but the most popular are cash games and tournament play.

A player must put an amount of money into the pot before any cards are dealt. This is called a forced bet and it comes in the form of an ante, a blind bet, or both. The player who puts in the most money wins the hand.

When it’s a player’s turn, they must either “call” (match the bet made by the player to their left) or raise it. If they choose to raise, they must put in more than the amount of the previous bet and can only raise by a certain amount. This is to prevent players from raising their bets too high and going bust.

After a round of betting, each player must show their cards. The player with the best five-card hand wins the pot. If two players have the same pair, their hands are tied if the suits don’t match. If the ranks match then the rank of the last card determines which hand is higher.

If the first player to act has a weak hand, they can raise a bet in order to scare off other players and make them fold their hands. This is called a bluff and can be very effective. However, if a player’s bluff fails, they will be out of the hand and lose their money.