Poker is a card game where the twin elements of luck and skill are both required to win. While the outcome of any individual hand may involve significant chance, over time the application of skill can virtually eliminate luck’s influence on the game.
One or more players are required to make forced bets – either an ante or blind bet (or both) before they are dealt cards. The dealer then shuffles the cards and deals them to the players, starting with the player to his left. Cards may be dealt face up or down.
After the first betting interval, each player must place chips into the pot equal to the amount placed in by the player to his right. This is called “calling.” A player may also raise his bet by an amount not to exceed a certain limit (usually twice as much after the draw, four times as much after the river, or even higher for pot-limit games).
When all players are done acting on their hands, the remaining players show their cards and the highest poker hand wins the pot. At the end of each betting phase, the remaining players must decide to call or raise their bets or fold. The player who chooses to fold forfeits all money that he or she bet on that round. In some Poker variants, the last player to act may not reveal his or her hand. If so, the other players must replace those cards in the deck to continue playing.