Poker is a card game played between two or more players. It involves betting, which increases the chances of winning a hand through strategy and psychology. It also involves reading other players for tells, which can be helpful in determining the strength of a hand. Despite the amount of skill involved, chance still plays a large role in the game, especially when making bets.

There are many different variants of the game, each with slightly different rules. Typically, one or more forced bets (usually an ante and blind bet) are made before the cards are dealt. The dealer then shuffles the cards, and deals each player two face-down cards, followed by a community flop. The players then bet in a series of rounds, with the highest-ranking hands winning the pot.

When deciding how much to bet, consider the other players’ betting patterns and the current state of their cards. For example, if the player to your right raises after seeing the flop, you might want to call and see whether you have a strong hand or a weak one.

During the time between betting rounds, you can swap cards in your hand for new ones from the deck by saying “hit” or “stay.” This allows you to improve your odds of winning by replacing bad cards with good ones. If there are multiple pairs of high cards, the highest-ranking pair wins. Otherwise, the highest card breaks ties. If no one has a pair, the dealer wins the pot.