Poker is a card game in which players bet on the probability of having a winning hand. It can be played by two to 14 people, although the ideal number is six or seven. Typically, each player puts an ante into the pot (an amount that varies depending on the type of poker being played), then receives two cards face down. There is then a round of betting, during which each player may increase or decrease their bets. The highest hand wins the pot.

Unlike most card games, poker involves more than just luck; it requires a certain amount of skill to be successful. A good poker player must be able to assess the likelihood of having a particular hand, as well as know how much his opponents are willing to bet, and thus calculate his odds of winning. The game also requires players to consider bluffing, which can often be profitable if done correctly.

A winning hand consists of a series of five consecutive cards of the same suit (e.g., three of a kind or four of a kind). Each pair of cards is stronger than the next one in the same category: A full house beats a straight, and five aces beats any other hand.

There are many different types of poker, with the most popular being Texas hold’em and Omaha hold’em. Other variants include draw and stud poker. Early vying games include Belle, Flux and Trente-un (French, 17th – 18th centuries), Post and Pair (English, 16th – 17th centuries), Brelan and its derivative Bouillotte (18th century), and Mus (Spanish). However, these earlier vying games have little bearing on the modern game of poker.