Poker is a game of chance in which players compete to make the best hand using cards. Various variants of the game exist, each of which is different from the others in its rules and strategy.

The game begins with a deal of cards, in which each player is dealt two face-up cards and one card in front of them (the back). Each player must announce whether or not they are playing their hand.

After the initial deal, betting rounds are held between hands. During each round, players can place additional bets or raise existing ones.

When a bet is raised, each player must call the new bet or fold. The amount of each bet or raise is recorded in a table called the pot.

Betting in a poker game typically involves antes, all-ins and big blinds. An ante is the minimum amount of money that must be bet in order to be eligible to play. In addition, an all-in is a bet that consists of the entire amount of chips or cash that a player has on hand.

A big blind is a variation on a blind where the player sitting two positions to the left of the dealer has to put money into the pot prior to the hand being dealt. This is done to give weaker hands a chance to win the pot by forcing them out.

The game is played with poker chips, which are usually red, white, black, blue or green in color and valued at a certain number of dollars. The dealer assigns values to the chips before the game begins, and each player exchanges their cash for the appropriately valued chips.