Poker is a game of chance where players compete to earn the highest possible score. It is played in private homes, in card clubs, and in casinos.

Winning at poker requires a vast array of tactics and strategies. One of the most important is being able to bluff your opponent without having to show them your hand.

Bluffing is a form of deception in which players bet strongly on a weak hand to induce opponents with superior hands to fold. It is often used in combination with other bluffing techniques, such as bluffing out of position or re-raising to force opponents to fold their weaker hands.

In a poker game each player is dealt five cards face down, followed by a betting interval. The first player to act is called the “dealer,” and play proceeds clockwise around the table until everyone has had a chance to bet or fold their hands.

Throughout the course of each betting interval, players may make bets on their own hands or raise other players’ bets. These bets are known as “calling” or “raising.”

Betting limits are set in poker games before the cards are dealt, and these limits are typically the same for all betting intervals. If a player does not put enough chips into the pot, they must drop out of the round.

When playing at higher stakes, it is common for players to raise and re-raise each other pre-flop. This is a tactic that can help eke out value from other players when their hands are decent, but can also lead to large losses if the hand is a bad one.