Poker is a card game that involves betting between players. It has many variations, but all involve a basic concept: the player tries to use their two personal cards and five community cards to make the best possible hand of 5 cards. Poker has a significant amount of chance involved, but also requires skill and psychology.

Depending on the rules of the game, one or more players must place an initial amount of money into the pot before the cards are dealt. This is called the ante. Players then place additional bets into the pot as they play. If a player does not wish to place any additional bets, they may fold. If they do not fold, the highest hand wins the pot.

After all players have placed their bets, the dealer will reveal five community cards that everyone can use in their hand. The winner is whoever can create the strongest 5-card hand using these shared cards. This is usually determined by comparing the rank of each card (aces high) against the other cards in the hand.

A full house consists of 3 matching cards of 1 rank and 2 matching cards of another rank. A flush consists of 5 consecutive cards of the same suit, including jokers. A straight contains 5 cards of the same rank in sequence, but can be from different suits. A pair consists of two cards of the same rank, plus three unrelated side cards.