Poker is a card game where players bet into a pot based on the strength of their hand. The highest ranked hand wins the pot. There are many different variants of poker but they all have the same basic rules. Poker is almost always played with poker chips. Each player starts with a certain number of chips (the amount varies by game). A white chip is worth one unit, or ante; a red chip is worth five whites; and blue chips are worth 10 whites, 20 whites, 25 whites, or fifty whites. In addition to the standard poker chips, some games use additional tokens that have different values.

In most games each player must ante something (a small amount, usually a nickel) to get dealt cards. Then the players can bet into the pot in the middle of the table. After all the betting is done there is a showdown where each player shows their cards and the best hand wins.

Getting to know the basic rules of poker is a good start but understanding how to read your opponents is key to winning. You want to be able to identify conservative players and aggressive players. Conservative players fold their hands early and are easily bluffed by aggressive players. Aggressive players will often raise their bets without having the best hand and can be bluffed into folding by other players.

When playing poker you must know the different types of hands and how they rank. A royal flush is the highest type of hand, followed by a straight flush and then three of a kind. You must also understand the high card rule, which breaks ties in cases where two hands have the same number of pairs or straights.

To determine your best hand you must consider the value of each individual card. For example, a pair of kings is a decent hand on the flop but if the board has tons of flush and straight cards it can be difficult to win the pot.

During the betting interval a dealer will deal three community cards face up on the table that anyone can use to create a hand. Depending on the rules of your game you may be able to draw replacement cards for those in your hand at this point. Each player who remains in the hand must decide whether to call, raise or drop. After the final betting interval there is a showdown where each player puts their cards down on the table and the person with the best 5 card poker hand wins the pot.