Poker is a game of chance, in which players bet into a pot and hope for the best. The player with the highest hand is the winner, who takes the pot. If several players have identical hands, the winner is determined by the rank of the next card.

Each round of betting begins with an ante, which is a small bet each player makes before the hand is dealt. After the ante, the dealer cuts and shuffles cards. It is then distributed to the players one at a time.

After the shuffle, each player gets seven cards. Players then decide whether to call, raise or fold. They can discard up to three cards.

In games with more than ten players, two separate games are usually played, with each game consisting of three levels of betting. Some poker variants include a kitty, which is a special fund. This is used to pay for new decks of cards.

Poker is usually played with chips. Most of the time, these are red or blue. Occasionally, white or dark-colored chips are used.

When players are ready to bet, they must call, raise or fold. A bet is said to be called if it matches the previous bet. For instance, a player who bet $10 in the previous round calls another bet. Likewise, a player who bets more than the previous bettor is said to raise.

If all but one player folds, the turn to bet passes from player to player. If no player calls, the round ends.