The game of poker has a long history and countless variants, but it all is based on the same basic rules. The game has a high degree of chance, but over the long run the skills of the players come to play a significant role in the outcome of individual hands. The skill involves minimizing losses with poor hands and maximizing winnings with good ones, using the principles of probability, psychology and game theory.

Depending on the game rules, one or more players are required to place an initial amount of money into the pot before the cards are dealt. These are called forced bets and come in the form of antes, blinds or bring-ins.

Dealing the cards begins with the player on the button (a small circular disc) who is assigned the task by the dealer. A standard pack of 52 cards is used, sometimes with an addition of wildcards (jokers). Each player then receives two cards and aims to make the best five card hand by calling or raising subsequent bets.

The higher a player’s hand rank, the more valuable it is. Some players will try to win a hand by bluffing. This can be successful, but a player will often lose in the long run if they consistently bluff with inferior hands. When a player calls all bets and no one else raises them, the winner collects the entire pot. If more than one player calls bets, they are placed in different side pots and the original pot is divided equally among them.