Poker is played with chips, and a standard deck of 52 cards, sometimes with one or two jokers. The turn to deal and the turn to bet pass clockwise from player to player. The shuffle and cut are performed before each hand, with the right to do so passing to the player to the left of the dealer (also known as the button). Normally, a white chip is worth the minimum ante; a red or other colored chips are worth five whites; and a blue chip is worth ten whites or more. The ace of spades and the jack of hearts are wild cards.

The object of the game is to make a good 5 card hand using your own 2 personal cards and the 5 community cards dealt in the center of the table. Each player bets based on his or her perception of the probability that their opponents hold a better hand than theirs.

Players can raise or call the previous players’ bets, or they can fold if they don’t like their chances. The winner takes all the money that has been placed into the pot. Often, the players agree ahead of time that any money left in the pot will be split among the last remaining players, to avoid a situation where the game would end with one player owning all the money at the table.

Tournaments come in all shapes and sizes, from small local events to large professional events. These tournaments are usually held at card shops, bars, community centers, or even at universities.