Poker is a card game in which players make decisions based on their cards. A player who makes a voluntary money bet must consider the expected value of the bet. Players place money bets for many different reasons. For example, they might be hoping to win the pot with a specific hand. However, the outcome of any hand is largely dependent on chance. Nonetheless, game theory, psychology, and probability can all contribute to the long-term expectations of a player.

One important factor in predicting poker odds is the number of players. Traditionally, poker games have at least seven players. As such, it is important to ensure that each player has an equal supply of chips. It is customary for games with seven or more players to have at least 200 chips available for every player. In general, white chips are the lowest-valued. A blue chip is worth ten, twenty, or 25 whites. A dark-colored chip, on the other hand, is worth two, four, or five reds. Players buy-in to the game by purchasing poker chips.

The game of poker is a popular spectator sport, and the rise of online poker has only increased its popularity. Its widespread broadcasts have brought in huge audiences for cable and satellite television distributors. There are hundreds of variations of the game.