Poker is a card game that involves betting on the value of a hand of cards. Traditionally, players compete to win cash or poker chips (sometimes called tokens).

The game begins with one or more forced bets, either an ante or blind bet. After the antes have been made, the dealer shuffles the cards and cuts them. He then deals each player a number of cards, depending on the variant being played. The player to his left starts the first round of betting.

Once the betting is over, the players reveal their hands and the player with the best five-card hand wins the round. The players may also exchange some or all of their cards during this phase, depending on the rules of the game.

Some games also have “blind” bets, which are placed before the dealer shuffles and deals the cards to each player. These bets can replace the ante or be added to it. Players must call the blind bet before they can check.

In most poker games, if the person to your right raises his bet, you should say “call” or “I call” to match that amount of money in your turn. You can also choose to raise the bet yourself by saying “raise.” Usually, you should only raise your bet if you think that you have a strong enough hand to make a good profit. Otherwise, it’s better to fold and not lose any more money.