Poker is a card game where players bet chips (representing money) to win a pot at the end of a betting round. The pot is the total of all bets placed by all active players in a hand. The goal of the game is to form a high-ranking hand from the cards you receive, or to bluff enough to induce other players to fold before they reveal their hands.

There are four rounds of betting in a poker hand: before the flop, after the flop, after the turn, and after the river (the fifth and final community card). Each player has the option to fold (exit the round), call (match a previous bet), raise (bet more than a previous player), or check (no bet). The action starts with the seat to the left of the dealer and moves clockwise around the table.

Using proper gameplay etiquette is important for both the players and dealers. A good dealer will make sure the other players are not rushing their actions, as well as warn them of bad behavior such as splashing the pot.

Another job of the dealer is to keep track of the amount of chips in the pot, as well as the side pots if there are any. They also must distribute these correctly at the end of each hand. They must be able to accurately explain to players what is in the pot and the amounts of each player’s bets.