Poker is a card game that involves betting between two or more players. It has several variants, each characterized by a different number of cards dealt and the way in which they are placed on the table. The object of poker is to win the pot, which is the sum of all bets made during a single deal. Depending on the game, this may be accomplished by forming a specific poker hand or by bluffing. Poker has been a popular card game for many years and is now played worldwide.

A standard 52-card deck is used in most games of poker. Generally, one pack of cards is used, but in professional poker, a second shuffled pack is added to speed the deal. A player’s cards are not shown until after a betting round, but players can replace their own cards with ones from the top of the deck during the round, or even after it.

In most poker games, each player must place an initial forced bet, usually the ante or blind bet. The dealer then shuffles the cards and deals them to the players, starting with the player to their left. Cards are dealt either face-up or face-down, depending on the variant of poker being played. Bets are raised between deals in a series of betting intervals, with the highest hand winning the pot.

In most poker games, a full house beats a straight. A full house consists of three matching cards of one rank and two matching cards of another rank. A flush contains five consecutive cards of the same suit. A pair consists of two cards of the same rank, plus another unmatched card.