Poker is a card game that can be played by two to seven players. Each player pays an ante and/or blind bet, and then receives five cards. The player with the best hand wins the Pot. In some games there are also jokers, or wild cards, which can be used to substitute for any other card in the poker hand.

At the beginning of a game of poker, each player “buys in” for a set amount of chips, usually with white chips. Depending on the variant of poker being played, these chips have different values. For example, a white chip is worth one unit of the minimum ante or bet; a red chip is worth five whites; and a blue chip is often worth 10 whites. The dealer then shuffles the cards and deals them to the players, starting with the player to his or her left. The first of many betting rounds begins, and the players’ poker hands develop over the course of several betting rounds.

A good poker player knows how to read other players and pay attention to subtle physical tells, such as scratching the nose or playing nervously with his or her chips. Often, these tells can indicate that a player is holding weak or marginal poker hands. It is important to know when to fold and not waste money by calling re-raises with a weak or marginal hand. This will allow you to save more of your money for when you have a strong poker hand.