Poker is a card game played with betting between two or more players. It is a skill-based game that incorporates elements of chance, psychology and mathematics. Players compete for the pot based on the expectation that they hold a strong hand or are bluffing to make the opponent think that they do. In addition, a player may choose to fold, leaving his or her cards face-down, thus forfeiting any rights to the accumulated pot.
A fixed amount (the small blind & the big blind) must be posted by all players in order to begin betting. After the antes & blinds are placed, the dealer shuffles a deck of cards and deals them one at a time to the players, starting with the person to his or her immediate right. Depending on the variant of Poker being played, a single round of betting may take place or multiple rounds of betting may be required.
Throughout a game, players can add money to the betting pool by raising their bets. If a player believes that he or she has a good hand, they can continue to raise their bets until a showdown takes place. If a player has a bad hand, they can choose to drop out of the round or “fold.” When a player folds, he or she must discard his or her initial two cards and loses any claims to the accumulated pot. A player who chooses to raise a bet must call it to remain in the round and can win up to the amount that he or she staked, but not any more.