Poker is a card game in which players place bets (in chips, representing money) into a common pot. The highest-ranking five-card hand wins the pot. Players may also bluff, betting that they have a high hand when they do not. If players with superior hands call the bluff, the bluffing player loses his chips.

In most games, the first player to act places a forced bet (the amount varies between different poker variants) before the cards are dealt. This bet is called an ante or blind. Players may then choose to raise this bet or fold. If a player raises, the other players must either match this bet or else fold. If no one raises, the player with the best hand wins the pot.

Earlier vying games with similar elements include belle, flux & trente-un (17th – 18th centuries, Germany), Brelan (18th century to present), and post & pair (17th – 18th centuries, France). The word poker derives from the Dutch phrase póker meaning “to bet”.

While Poker is primarily a game of chance, the game is not without skill. The most successful players are able to extract valuable information from their opponents’ actions, including interpreting cues like body language and eye contact. They are able to use this information both to exploit their opponents and to protect themselves. This process is analogous to the way that computer security professionals construct behavioral dossiers on their targets.