Poker is a card game in which players compete by betting their money. The winner of a round is the player with the best 5-card hand, who wins the entire pot. After several rounds of betting, players run out of money. When this happens, the game ends. The game can be split into two phases, the pre-flop and the flop.

A typical hand has a small amount of chance, but players must still play their cards. The chance element of poker is reduced as the number of cards dealt decreases. In a poker session, the expected “luck” of the player is based on a statistical normal distribution. In order to be successful, one must also consider the players’ ranges and bluffs.

Poker is played with chips. There are two kinds of chips. A white chip is the lowest valued, while a red chip is worth five. The chips can also be colored blue or dark. Each of these colors represents different values, so it is important to have enough chips for everyone playing. The value of the chips will vary, but in general, a white chip is worth five whites, a red chip is worth ten or twenty-five whites, and a blue chip is worth two, four, or five reds.

In five-card poker, the goal is to create the best possible hand. This can be done by forming two distinct pairs or two pairs with a fifth card of the same suit. A flush is a group of five cards with the same suit, but not necessarily in that order.