Poker is a card game that can be played by two or more players. It involves betting, raising and folding. The object is to win the pot, which is the sum of all bets placed in a single deal. A hand consists of five cards and is ranked in order of their relative mathematical frequency, with the highest being a royal flush, which comprises a ten, jack, queen, king, and ace. Other high hands include a straight, three of a kind, and two pair. A player may win the pot without showing his or her hand by bluffing.

The rules of poker vary from variant to variant, but there are certain basic principles that apply. In most games, each player places an initial amount of money into the pot before the cards are dealt. This is called the ante or blind, and it may be forced by an opponent or chosen by the player.

There are also a number of optional rules, such as the matching method, which requires a player who raises his or her stake to match the amount raised by the previous player, and the fold rule, which allows a player to forfeit his or her hand if it is not good enough.

Every poker player has a tell, an unconscious habit that reveals information about the strength of his or her hand. These can be as simple as a change in posture or as complex as a gesture.