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The Basics of Poker

Poker is a game of chance and uncertainty where players wager on the value of their hand. It has become one of the world’s most popular card games, played in many different countries and in a wide variety of styles. It can be played as a serious game of strategy, or as a lighthearted form of entertainment. The game has also become a fascinating study of the effects of luck and uncertainty.

A basic poker game involves betting between two and seven players who have a number of cards dealt them face down. A player may “raise” his bet by increasing the amount of money he is placing in the pot, and other players must either call this raise or fold their cards. Players can bluff by betting that they have the best hand when they do not, and this is often a winning strategy if other players do not call their bets.

To start the betting, each player must put in a minimum amount of chips. Usually each chip is worth a fixed amount of the minimum ante or bet (the lowest-valued white chip is worth a single white), and each color is represented by a specific value: for example, red chips are worth five whites each.

The next step is to deal each player a number of cards, face up. This is done in clockwise order until a jack appears, at which point the first dealer takes over. The remaining cards are re-dealt and the cycle repeats.