Poker is a card game for two or more players. There are a number of different poker games, but most of them share certain basic principles. The object of the game is to win the pot, which is the sum of all bets placed during a hand. A player can win the pot by either having a high-ranking poker hand or by making a bet that no other player calls.
The game is played with chips, the values of which vary between games and between casinos and home games. A white chip is worth one ante or bet; a red chip is usually worth five whites; and a blue chip is often worth 10 or more whites. Before the game begins, each player buys in for a set amount of chips.
When a player’s turn to act comes, they can call the current bet, raise it by an amount equal to or greater than that bet, or fold their cards. If they fold, they give up their hand and all of the bets they have made so far.
In some games, a player may also “bet the pot,” meaning that they place a bet equal to or larger than all other bets in the pot. This is done to force out weak hands and raise the value of a good one. However, this can be risky because if the player’s hand is strong, the opponent could call the bet and win the pot.