Poker is a card game played between two or more players with the object of winning the pot (money collected in the center of the table). There are many different forms of poker, but most involve betting during each hand. Each player contributes something to the pot, called an ante. Then the cards are dealt. Once everyone has their cards, a round of betting begins. This is usually done clockwise.
Each player must first ante some amount of money, typically a nickel, in order to get their hands dealt. Each subsequent round of betting is started by the player to the left of the dealer. During each betting interval, the player may choose to either call (match the amount of the last bet), raise the bet or fold (drop their hand).
All Poker hands must contain five cards. The highest ranking hand wins the pot. In standard Poker, suits have no relative rank and ties are broken by the higher unmatched cards or secondary pairs (in a full house). Some games also use wild cards that can take on any suit or rank.
Practice and watch other players play to develop quick instincts. A good strategy involves raising the value of your hand to scare off weaker hands and bluffing to make money with strong hands. Practicing and watching will also help you understand how to read your opponents to predict their moves. Some people even develop a system that helps them win every hand.