Poker is a card game with rules based on probability and psychology. It is played by two or more players and the object is to win the pot (the total of all bets made in one deal) by having the best poker hand. Players place bets voluntarily according to their opinion of the hand’s value, and may bluff. Other players may call such bets, or “raise” them, for a variety of strategic reasons.
Each player is dealt five cards. The best 5-card poker hand wins the pot. If the pot is won by a hand that has not been revealed, it is called a showdown. A player can also win the pot without a showdown by raising bets when other players have superior hands and fold, or by making a bluff.
There are many variants of poker, but most of them have the same basic structure. Some games require a forced bet before players are dealt their cards, and others allow a player to check if they do not want to raise the pot. Then, each round has a betting phase, with players betting on the rank of their hand or on the likelihood that they will draw another better one. The last betting phase is known as the showdown. If the last player calls a bet, he or she wins the pot. If no player calls, the players whose hands are shown will split the pot. If there are multiple all-in players, there is often a separate side pot for the players who did not call.