Poker is a card game played between two or more players. Generally, a player must make some bet (called an ante) before the cards are dealt. During the betting intervals between each deal, the cards in each player’s hand develop.
The aim is to maximise the value of your winning hands and minimise losses from losing hands. This is called MinMax.
Usually, the first player to act raises the bet by an amount equal to the total staked on that round. The next player must either raise the same amount to stay in or drop out of the hand. The player with the best five-card hand wins the pot. The players share the money in the pot if the hand is tied.
Most modern poker games are played with a standard 52-card pack, often with one or two jokers added. There are many variants of poker, which differ in the way the cards are dealt and in the betting rules.
Some of these variations use blind bets in addition to or instead of the ante. These bets happen before the cards are dealt, and each player makes a bet in turn. A player may “check” if they do not want to raise their bet, or “call” if they wish to increase it. The game is completed when all of the players who remain show their hands, and the player with the best five-card hand wins all of the money in the pot.