Poker is a game of chance where players compete for a pot of money. The player with the highest hand wins the pot.

The game is played with cards and chips (usually red, white, black, or blue). Before the cards are dealt, one or more players are required to make forced bets. These bets come in the form of antes, blinds, and bring-ins.

Depending on the game rules, these bets may be called by all players, or only by those who make them. Some games are played with a fixed limit betting system, which sets the amount of chips that can be bet or raised.

When the first round of betting is complete, the dealer deals three community cards face-up on the table. The next round, the flop, involves another round of betting.

Once the flop is complete, all still in the hand have a chance to bet or fold. The dealer then deals the fourth card, known as the turn, to all still in the hand.

It is important to understand that a hand’s strength is often concealed. For example, if you have pocket fives and the flop comes A-8-5, you’re very difficult to catch because people expect trip fives.

Once you’ve mastered the fundamentals of the game, you can start to read other players more effectively. The most common way to do this is by noticing their betting and folding patterns.