Poker is a card game of chance that combines skill and psychology. It became popular around the early 21st century when it was adapted for broadcast television and online, bringing in large audiences. While there are hundreds of variations to poker, most of them follow the same basic rules.
At the start of each round, players place bets using their chips, and a dealer is chosen. This person is responsible for shuffling the deck and dealing cards to each player. Depending on the game, this can be done by a single non-player or by every player taking turns being the dealer.
Once the bets are placed, each player receives two cards that are hidden from the other players (called their hole or pocket cards). Then 3 cards are dealt face-up on the table (revealed to all players) – these are called the flop. The players then use their own two personal cards and the 5 community cards to create a 5-card hand.
The highest-ranking hands win the pot, which is the total amount of bets made by players in a given round. A player can put all of their remaining chips into the pot in some situations, which is called an all-in bet. When this happens, the other players must call the bet or fold. Players also have the option to bet more than their amount of chips, which is called raising. This is often used when a player has a strong value hand to try to force their opponents to fold.