Poker is a popular card game played among a group of people. The game features several betting rounds and several variations. Each betting round begins with one player placing the first bet. After each player places their bet, they have until the end of the round to place the rest of their bets towards the pot. The winner of the round is the player with the best poker hand.

Poker is played with a minimum of two players but can be played with as many as eight. The game requires several skills, such as the ability to read your opponents, predicting the odds, and displaying a cool demeanor when bluffing. The object of the game is to win as many chips as possible from your opponents.

In the game, every player receives a hand of five cards. A player can discard up to three cards before the next round begins. If more than one player has the best hand, a showdown occurs and the winning player wins the pot. Hundreds of variations of poker exist. The basic rules of most games are similar, but the rules can vary from one casino to another.

The player who is dealing the cards is called the dealer. The dealer button marks the nominal dealer and is often a white plastic disk. This button is placed on the table to indicate who is dealing the cards. The dealer is responsible for dealing the cards, and the order of betting is determined by the dealer.