Poker is a card game that involves betting and bluffing. It is played with a standard pack of 52 cards plus one or more jokers, and the object is to win money by placing bets that other players cannot call. The bets are based on probability, psychology, and game theory, and may be bluffed by the player holding a weaker hand. Money is only placed into the pot voluntarily by a player who believes that his or her action has positive expected value.

The game can be played by any number of people, but it is most commonly played between two to 14 players. The first player to act is the dealer, and his or her turn to deal and bet comes around in a clockwise direction after each player receives a pair of cards. The first player to place a bet must make a bet that is at least an established minimum; this rule ensures that all players will put some amount of money into the pot before the showdown.

There are a variety of different poker hands, each with its own category and rank. A higher hand generally beats a lower one, but there are exceptions. The rank is determined by the rank of the individual cards, and there are four suits (spades, diamonds, hearts, and clubs), although only the suit of the Ace is high.

The most important concept in poker strategy is position. It means playing a game where you act in late position more often than your opponents do and calling fewer hands out of late position than they do. In the long run, this will improve your chances of winning.