The Basics of Poker

Poker is a card game in which players wager money against one another. There are many variations of poker, each with its own rules and strategies.

The objective of the game is to create a poker hand that has the best possible value for the cards in the pot. The player with the highest-ranking poker hand wins all the money in the pot.

A round of betting follows each hand.

Each player is dealt a set of cards, usually face-down. The player is able to choose to keep them face down, discard them, or draw replacement cards.

In some games, the dealer shuffles and deals the cards for each hand. In other games, each player takes turns being the dealer.

When a hand is dealt, it is passed clockwise around the table. This is marked by a token called a dealer button or buck.

The button is typically a white plastic disk. In a casino, the dealer is usually a real person.

If the person holding the dealer position is a non-player, that chip is also passed on after each hand.

After a betting round, the players who are still in the pot may either call the bet or raise it. The players may also fold their hand and remove it from the betting pool.