Poker is a card game in which players wager money (called chips) against each other. The object is to make the best hand possible by combining five cards. The better the hand, the more money you win. Players may also bluff by betting that they have the best hand when they do not.

Each player starts the game by buying in for a certain number of chips. Each chip has a specific value, usually indicated by its color. A white chip, for example, is worth the minimum ante or bet; a red chip is worth five whites; and a blue chip is worth ten whites. Each player places his or her chips into the pot before each turn.

When the first player’s turn comes, he or she must either Check or Call (matching the previous player’s raise). If a player wants to bet more than the minimum amount, he or she makes a Raise.

Once all players have played their hands, the dealer deals three cards face-up in the center of the table (known as the flop). These are community cards that everyone can use to make their final five-card hand.

The highest five-card hand wins the pot. If more than one hand has five of a kind, the higher-ranked hand wins (five kings beats five queens, for instance). Ties are broken by looking at the highest card in each hand. If no high cards are present, the dealer’s highest card wins.