Poker is a game of cards where players bet chips and either win the pot or lose it. It has dozens of variations, but the basic mechanics remain the same. Players put in mandatory bets called blinds or antes before they get their cards, and then they bet during certain intervals, or rounds.

The game is won by having the highest-ranking hand at the end of a betting round. Players can also bluff, which is when they make bets without having the best hand, hoping to scare other players into folding. They can also raise the stakes on a particular hand if they think they have a good chance of winning.

In most games, each player is dealt 2 cards face down and then a further card is dealt on top of them. There is a round of betting that begins with the player to the left of the dealer.

If you have a strong hand, you can raise the stakes by saying “call” to match the previous player’s bet. You can also check if you want to stay in the hand but don’t have a strong one, or fold if you don’t have a good hand at all.

A flush is 5 consecutive cards of the same rank (either all clubs, diamonds, hearts or spades) and a royal flush is a combination of a 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace of the same suit. Three of a kind is three cards of the same rank, two pair is 2 matching cards of another rank and 1 unmatched card, and a straight is 5 consecutive cards that skip around in rank but are all from one suit.