Poker is a card game in which players make bets into a common pot. The player with the highest-ranking hand wins the pot at the end of the betting round. The game can be played with any number of players. The cards are dealt one at a time, and bets are made in intervals, according to the rules of the game.
There are many different poker variants, but most involve the same general principles. The game begins when each player antes some amount, usually a small bet. The dealer then shuffles and deals the cards to each player, starting with the person on his or her left.
After the cards are dealt, each player must decide whether to call or raise. The raising of bets is an important aspect of the game, and is done in a clockwise direction around the table. The higher the bet, the more money a player puts into the pot and the stronger his or her hand must be to win.