The game of poker is a card game in which players form hands based on the rank of cards and bet in order to win a pot. The pot is the sum of all bets made during a betting round. Players can win the pot by making the best hand or by having the highest remaining hand.

Each player begins by revealing their cards, one at a time, to the table. Each card is compared to the previous exposed card until the player forms a winning hand. The first player to do so wins the pot. Players are also able to place bets on their own cards or the exposed card of the player before them.

There are a number of different types of hands, including the straight, three of a kind, and two pair. A straight consists of five consecutive cards of the same suit. A three of a kind consists of three matching cards of one rank, while a two pair consists of two cards of the same rank and one other unmatched card. A full house consists of three cards of the same rank and two matching cards of another, while a flush consists of five consecutively ranked cards of any suit.

When playing poker, it is important to always have a reason for your actions. Your check, call, raise or fold all tell your opponent a story about your hand. A player who makes a move without a good reason is likely to lose money.