Poker is a card game that can be played by two or more players. It involves betting between the players and revealing cards to form a hand. The goal is to win the pot, which is the sum total of all bets placed in a single deal. There are a number of different poker variants, but most of them have similar rules.

Depending on the poker variant, one or more of the players must place an initial amount into the pot before the cards are dealt. These are called forced bets and come in the form of ante and blind bets. Once these bets are made, the cards are dealt face up. There is usually a round of betting after each deal, starting with the player to the left of the button.

When it’s your turn, you can choose to call a previous player’s bet or raise it (increase the amount of money placed in the pot). If you raise a bet, other players can choose to “call” or fold.

When it’s your turn to bet, you can try to figure out how strong other players’ hands are by looking at their bets. This can be done by studying their body language and other tells, which are unconscious habits that reveal information about a player’s hand. A good poker player is able to read his opponents’ tells and use them to his advantage. In addition, he knows when to bet and when to fold.