A game with many variants, Poker involves a number of players competing for an amount of money or chips contributed by each player, known as the pot. Each player’s Poker hand comprises five cards. The value of a hand depends on its mathematical frequency; a high-frequency combination is more valuable than a low-frequency one. Players may also bluff, betting that they have a superior hand while holding a weaker one. If the other players call the bet, then the bluffer wins the pot.

During each betting interval, players contribute an equal number of chips to the pot, as determined by the rules of the game in question. There are usually two or more betting intervals for each Poker deal, and at the end of the final interval there is a “showdown,” where all remaining players reveal their hands face up on the table. The best Poker hand takes the pot.

If a player feels that they do not possess a strong enough starting hand to win the pot, they may choose to ‘Fold’, meaning that they put their cards down for the current round and forfeit the pot. Alternatively, they may ‘Call’, meaning that they match the bet made by the previous player and continue in the round without making a raise. They can also ‘Raise’, increasing the opening or ongoing bet amount and challenging other players to match or re-raise it.