Poker is a card game with a lot of betting and chances for players to make good or bad decisions. It can be played in home games, at poker clubs and in casinos. It’s the national card game of the United States, and its play and jargon are widely used in popular culture.

Players place chips (representing money) into a pot in the center of the table, called the pot, when it’s their turn to act. Once the pot is large enough, the highest hand wins. Players can call, raise or fold. A player can also bet into more than one pot, known as a side pot.

A round of betting begins when all players receive two cards face down, known as hole cards. The cards are then revealed and a showdown takes place. Players can either fold or bet, with the person to their immediate left acting first.

As in life, the goal is to maximise winning hands and minimise losing ones. It is also important to keep a healthy bankroll. To do this, we should try to make our opponents think we have a better hand than we actually do. This is the essence of bluffing in poker.