Poker is a card game in which players compete to create the best possible five-card hand. The player with the best hand wins the pot. Players may win by betting their hand or by bluffing.

In order to play poker, you need to have a minimum ante. This is a sum of money that is used to purchase new decks of cards. You should also supply some chips for the game.

Before the start of the game, the dealer assigns a value to each chip. There are typically three chips: a red chip, a blue chip, and a black chip. Each chip is worth a different amount of whites. Dark-colored chips are usually worth 10 or 25 whites, whereas a blue chip is worth two or four.

Once the cards are dealt, a player may bet or check. If the player checks, he must ensure that no other player has a bet. A player can also fold. Folding means that a player is no longer involved in the competition for the pot.

During the game, players must have enough time to think. They must not act out of turn, since it can spoil their entire hand. Generally, the first player to bet is the one with the highest ranking combination.

In each of the betting intervals, each active player receives one faceup card. The betting interval ends when all players have checked.

When a player’s bet is higher than the previous bet, that is called a raise. Similarly, when a player’s bet is lower than the previous bet, that is called dropping.