Poker is a card game in which players place bets before they see their cards, the bets adding up to a pot that can be won by a player with a high hand. While luck can play a major role in poker, the overall skill of the game involves manipulating other players to minimize losses with poor hands and maximize winnings with strong ones.

Poker games may be played with any number of players, from two to fourteen or more. The game is almost always played with poker chips. Each chip has a specific value, usually determined by color: a white chip is worth one minimum ante or bet; a red chip is worth five whites; and a blue or other dark-colored chip is worth 10 or 20 or 25 whites, or two, four or five reds. Usually, each player “buys in” for the same amount of chips at the start of the game. If a player decides not to buy in, he may choose to drop or fold and forfeit any chips that he has already put into the pot.

Poker requires considerable mental concentration. As a result, it is important to only play the game when you feel well-rested and in a good mood. If you start to feel frustration, fatigue or anger building up while you’re playing poker, stop the game. It will be better for you in the long run. It is also important to avoid making aggressive moves in poker unless you are confident that they will be profitable.