Poker is a card game for two or more players with a goal of winning the pot. The game can be played with any number of cards, but the ideal amount is 6. There are several forms of poker, but all share certain features.

Players place a wager before being dealt cards, referred to as an ante. They then decide to raise, call or fold their hands. The player with the highest hand wins the pot. The game may be played in multiple rounds, and the winning player can claim different side pots as well as the main pot.

After the initial betting interval, each player discards one or more of their cards and takes replacements from the undealt portion of the pack. This process, called the draw, is followed by another betting interval and a showdown. In most cases, the player with the best five-card poker hand wins the pot.

There are five standard poker hands: the high card, pair, three of a kind, straight, and flush. There are also ties (those with identical pairs) and full houses (five of the same rank plus a pair). Some poker games use wild cards to change the rankings of standard hands or to break ties, and some include jokers that can take on any suit and ranking they wish.

While many people think of poker as a game of pure chance, there is actually quite a bit of skill involved when betting. Bluffing is an important part of the game and involves projecting confidence in your hand while trying to convince opponents to fold rather than face you in a showdown.