Poker is a card game for two or more players played with chips. The players’ goal is to make the best 5-card hand with their own 2 cards and the five community cards dealt in the center of the table. If a player’s opponent’s all fold, that player wins the pot (all of the chips bet so far). Some poker games have rules for how this money is shared when the game ends, which ensures that a winner can’t walk away with the whole pile of chips.
Like any game involving incomplete information, there is uncertainty in poker. Players don’t know what other players will do with their cards and how they will bet them. To decide under uncertainty, a player must estimate probabilities of different events and scenarios.
During each betting interval, the players put in a certain amount of money — known as their stake — into the pot. They may raise this amount if they think their hand is strong enough to win. A player may also “check” if they don’t want to bet and wait for the next turn to act.
In some poker variants, a player must make a forced bet before they can check. This is called a blind bet and is usually replaced or added to the ante. After the antes and blind bets, 3 cards are dealt face-up in the center of the table — these are known as the “flop” and are used by all players to build their own 5-card hands. Another betting round then takes place. If there is a single remaining player after the final betting interval, he shows his hand and the one with the highest poker hand wins the pot.
