Poker is a card game that is played by a group of players around a table. Each player has chips that they can use to make bets on each hand. The goal is to have the highest ranked hand when all the betting rounds are over. The winner of the hand wins the pot, which is all of the chips that were bet during that hand.

Before a hand starts, the players must place an initial amount of money into the pot. This is called the ante. Some players also choose to place additional bets during the hand, which is called raising.

After the antes are placed, the cards are dealt. Each player receives two cards that are hidden from the other players, which are called their hole or pocket cards. Then 3 more cards are revealed to all the players at the table, which are known as the flop. The next betting phase begins with the player to the left of the dealer.

The best 5 card hand wins the pot. Then the players take turns revealing their hands. If a player doesn’t reveal their hand, they are said to fold and no longer compete for the pot.

One of the most important aspects of the game is understanding how to read other players. This is called tells, and involves observing their body language, facial expressions, gestures and breathing. Getting to know these tells can help you understand your opponents better and improve your own poker strategy.