Poker is a family of card games in which players wager over which hand is best according to that specific game’s rules. The earliest known form was played with 20 cards, while the most popular variants use a standard deck of 52 cards.

In most poker variants, the dealer shuffles the cards and deals them one at a time to each player, beginning with the player to their left. During the first deal, each player must place an initial contribution to the pot, called an ante, before they can see their cards.

The players then bet in one or more rounds of betting, depending on the poker variant being played. At the end of each round, all bets are gathered into the central pot.

Each round begins with a deal of cards, typically face up or down. During the deal, each player can discard up to three cards and take new ones from the top of the deck.

During the betting rounds, each player may call, meaning that they want to match the bets of the previous players or raise, in which case they add their own money to the pot. They may also fold, a gesture that signifies they do not wish to compete for the pot.

The ability to minimize losses with bad hands and maximize winnings with good hands is a primary skill in poker. This skill is rooted in the understanding of probabilities and psychology, and in game theory, which describes the long-run expectations of players.