Poker is a family of card games played by two or more players, each with a set of cards. The player who has the best hand at the end of a series of rounds wins the pot. Although the game involves some skill, it is primarily based on bluffing.

A variety of poker games are based on the standard 52-card deck. These games vary in how many cards are in play, and in the betting structures. Most commonly, the games are played with fixed-limit, pot-limit, or no-limit formats. Some variations allow for splitting the pot between the highest and lowest hands. If the player has a flush, the hand is considered a straight.

All cards are dealt clockwise around the table, and the dealer, usually a white plastic disk, handles each hand. Players may discard some of the cards they are holding, and take new ones from the top of the deck. Cards are usually dealt face up or face down, depending on the type of poker being played.

At the start of the round, each player is given a set of five cards. Depending on the rules of the game, each player may place a bet on the same hand, or a different hand. When a player raises, the previous player may also do so, or they may match the raise. After the first round of betting, the dealer cuts cards to reveal the hands, and the next round begins.

A player must match the bet made by another player if he wishes to keep the pot. However, if a player does not want to make a bet, he may fold. Once all but one player has folded, the round is finished. This is called the showdown. In a showdown, the player with the best hand is declared the winner.

Usually, a player who makes a bet voluntarily puts a chip into the pot, which is then counted to determine the winner. Sometimes a player will go all in, in which case he or she shows down his or her entire hand for all of the chips in the pot.

Poker has been a popular pastime for centuries. During the American Revolution, the game was particularly popular with gentleman players. Today, it is a staple of gambling in most countries. Its name, like many other gambling games, likely derives from a French word. Other names associated with the game are poque, primero, and brelan. One theory traces its development to a game of twenty cards known as as nas, which was played by Persian sailors in New Orleans.

Typical forms of poker include stud and draw. Stud requires that the player have the best five-card hand. Draw requires that each player be dealt a certain number of cards. A five-card hand is usually dealt one at a time, although this is not always the case. Occasionally, a four-card hand is thrown into the mix to form a straight.

No-limit and pot-limit games allow players to bet any amount up to the size of the pot. Usually, there are at least two or more rounds of betting, with the final round being the showdown.