Poker is a card game that involves some luck, but mostly it’s a game of skill. Players make bets against each other using plastic or ceramic discs called chips that represent money (or virtual money). Players can also swap chips for cash at the end of a game.

The game is played by two or more players on a table. The game starts with each player being dealt 2 cards, known as hole cards, face down. There is then a round of betting, which is usually initiated by the two players to the left of the dealer. These mandatory bets are called blinds.

Once the bets are in, the cards on the table are revealed one at a time, starting with the player to the left of the dealer. Each player aims to create the best 5 card hand, using their own two cards and the five community cards on the table.

As the betting continues, players can bluff by pretending that they have a weak or strong hand. They can also choose to fold, which removes them from the race for the pot. The game is a game of incomplete information, so it’s important to be able to make decisions under uncertainty. In poker, this means estimating the odds of different scenarios without knowing which cards will be played or how other players will bet on them. This is a key skill in any form of gambling, but it’s especially important in poker.