Poker is a card game in which the players compete to form the best five card hand. The player with the highest ranking hand wins the pot at the end of the hand. The game can be played by two to ten players and it is often played with a standard 52 card deck that includes one or more jokers or wild cards.

Before the cards are dealt there are forced bets made called blinds. The amount of the blinds depends on the size of the table and can be anywhere from half to the total chips in play. The first player to act after the forced bets puts in a bet that is usually equal to or higher than the big blind.

There are many different poker games, but they all have the same basic rules. The game can be played in the form of tournaments, cash games, and online. Almost all poker games use poker chips. A white chip is worth the minimum ante or bet, while a red chip is worth 10 whites or five whites and a blue chip is worth ten or twenty whites.

A key skill in poker is reading the other players at the table. This can be difficult because it requires patience and a keen eye for picking up on hints that are not obvious. It is important to practice and watch other experienced players to develop good instincts and learn how they react in specific situations.