Poker is a card game that involves betting between players and requires a high level of skill. It can be played by any number of people, though it is usually best with five or more players. The object of the game is to win the pot, which is the total amount of bets placed during a single hand. This can be done by having the highest-ranked poker hand or by continuing to raise your bet until all the other players have dropped out.

The rules of poker vary between games, but most include a dealer who deals out the cards and collects the bets. The game is played with a standard 52-card English deck, and one additional deck may be used for the “jokers” or wild cards. Some players choose to use only a single wild card, while others play with both jokers and regular cards.

During each betting interval, each player must either call (match) the previous bet or raise it. A raise is an increase in the amount of money you’re willing to put in, and it must be higher than any previous raise. You can also fold if you don’t have a good enough poker hand to call another bet.

After the betting interval is over, each player shows his or her cards to the other players. The player with the highest-ranked poker hand wins the pot. If there is a tie, the winnings are shared.