Poker is a game of chance with elements of skill and psychology. While the basic rules of the game are straightforward, if you want to improve your skills, you can read a poker book or join a group of players. However, reading a book is not as practical as playing in a group. You will have to play for money, and this is a more time-consuming way to learn the game.

Before a game of poker can begin, you must ante an amount that varies from game to game. Once you’ve anted, you’ll place your bets into the pot in the middle of the table. When all of the players in the hand have placed bets, the highest hand wins the pot. Bets are placed in clockwise succession and continue until one player folds or calls out.

In poker, the dealer, also known as the house dealer, deals the cards to the players. The house dealer is usually not a player but a separate person. The dealer button is usually a white plastic disk that indicates the nominal dealer. Once the cards are dealt, they are dealt clockwise around the table. Depending on the number of players, you can decide to shuffle the deck before the next dealer.

Players may raise their stakes a number of times during a hand. Usually, a player can double their bet after three or four raises. However, this should be done cautiously since raising too much can force the player out of the game due to lack of funds.