Generally, a poker game requires a group of people around a circular or oval table. The object of the game is to make the best possible five-card hand using the five cards dealt. The winner takes the pot.
Poker is played with a deck of cards that is usually made of ceramic or plastic. There are a variety of ways to play poker, and the number of players at the table can be as low as four or as high as eight. The number of cards dealt is also variable. For example, in stud poker, each player uses two hole cards and three board cards to make their hand.
A player can make a bet by raising or folding. If a player is not willing to fold, he or she may be forced to bet. A forced bet may be an ante or a blind bet. In some games, a player can bluff by betting that he or she has the best hand.
A round of betting is held after the flop. If all players check, the betting round ends. If any player raises, the betting round continues. The player who raises is said to be “calling” the bet. The next player must match the bet. If no one raises, the round of betting is over.
The final round of betting is called a showdown. The player with the highest hand is the winner. The last card is called the river.