Poker is a card game where the highest hand wins the pot. This hand can be made up of any combination of cards that add up to five, including a pair, three of a kind, straight, four of a kind, and a full house. Each player must place a bet in the pot in order to compete for the hand.

Players take turns betting, or opening the pot. The player who opens first must place the smallest amount of money in the pot, called a “blind”. Each player may choose to raise the blind or check their hands if they want to do so. If a player checks his hand, he must match the highest raise or fold.

The player who has the highest ranked hand when all players reveal their hands wins the pot and all bets. If a player cannot make a high-ranked hand, then they must drop out of the round and leave the pot/all bets to another player.

The word poker is believed to have come from underworld slang that was used by thieves and pickpockets who would cheat unsuspecting players. However, it was also used by card hustlers who bluffed their way to winning pots. The modern meaning of the word has largely changed, as poker has become more of a game of skill, psychology, and math than just a game for money.