Poker is a card game played by two or more players on a table. Each player places in the pot a number of chips (representing money) equal to or greater than the amount placed by the player before them. A player may call a bet, raise it or drop (“fold”). If a player drops, they must leave the betting interval.

The first betting phase in a round of Poker is called the pre-flop betting phase, and it begins with the player to the left of the big blind. After the pre-flop betting phase, 3 cards are dealt face up and revealed to all players. These cards are known as community cards and are used by all players to make a 5-card hand. Another betting phase then begins, this time with the player to the left of the dealer.

During each betting interval, players may choose to open a bet by placing chips into the pot. A player can also raise a bet, or “raise,” provided they put in at least as many chips as the player before them. Players can also check, providing no one in the betting interval has raised a bet or dropped.

The key to success in Poker is understanding the betting patterns of your opponents and observing their behavior while playing. Pay special attention to their tells, as well as their size of chip stacks—a short-stacked opponent can be desperate for the pot and easier to bluff against.