Poker is a card game where the goal is to make the best five-card hand possible – or convince other players that you have a good hand. While luck plays a large role in the outcome of each individual hand, the long-run expectations of players are determined by decisions they make on the basis of probability, psychology and game theory.

The game is usually played with chips, and each player must place at least the minimum ante before they can continue betting. The first player to place their chips into the pot is known as the active player and begins the betting process. During the betting phase of each hand, players reveal their cards in turn, and the player with the highest ranked card wins the pot.

Each player must declare whether they want to stay in their current hand or fold, and they announce this with verbal signals. For example, if the player to your left bets and you think that your hand has high value, then you would say “stay in” to remain in the current hand.

When it is your turn to act, you can choose to call the bet made by the active player, or raise it. A raise means that you will increase the amount of money you are putting into the pot, and you must declare this verbally or with a non-verbal signal. If you raise a bet that was previously raised, this is called a re-raise.