Poker is a card game in which players make bets with cards that they hold. The aim is to win the pot, which is the sum of all bets made during a single round of play. There are a number of different types of poker, and the rules for each differ from one another. In some cases, players are required to make an initial investment into the pot before they receive their cards, called forced bets or blind bets. These bets can either replace the ante or occur in addition to it.
The game may be played by 2 to 14 players, although the ideal number is 6 or 7. Some games use fewer cards than others. The rules vary from game to game, but the general goal is to win the pot by having a high-ranking poker hand, or by making bets that no other player calls.
A standard poker hand contains five cards of consecutive rank, with the highest card taking the first position. The suits have no rank in the game, and ties are broken by the highest unmatched cards or secondary pairs (in a full house or four of a kind).
A poker player may choose to raise his bet during a round, or he may “check.” If he checks, he leaves the game without betting, but if he raises his bet, he must stay in the pot until a showdown, at which time he will receive the amount that was raised since his last turn plus the amount he raised himself.