Poker is a card game played by a group of players around a table. It involves betting and bluffing, and skill and psychology play an important part of the game.

There are many different variants of the game, but all involve an ante and a pot. Before each hand, one player (or more if the game is heads-up) places an ante into the pot. Then a number of betting intervals take place, with each player showing their cards at the end. The player with the highest ranking hand wins the pot. Other hands can also win side pots, such as three of a kind, straight, or flush.

During the betting intervals, players must raise at least an amount that equals the bet of the person to their left. Players who do not raise must call, or bet at a lower amount. Then the next player in turn must raise if possible, and so on. If no one raises, a player can check, or stay in the pot without placing any money.

Some players are very aggressive, and others are more conservative. Aggressive players can be spotted by their tendency to bet high in early position. While a high bet might lose some of the money, it often wins more than a low bet would. In contrast, very conservative players are easy to spot because they often fold their hands. They also tend to lose less than more aggressive players because they are often bluffed into calling.