Poker is a card game of chance and skill, played with a standard pack of 52 cards plus one or more jokers (or other wild cards). It can be played with any number of players up to 14, although 6-8 is ideal. The object of the game is to win the pot, which is the sum total of bets placed by all players on each deal. A player may win the pot with a high-ranking poker hand or by making a bet that no other player calls.

Before the cards are dealt, there is a round of betting that starts with 2 mandatory bets called blinds put into the pot by the two players to the left of the dealer. A player can call this bet and/or raise it for various reasons, such as to increase his chances of winning a pot or to bluff against other players.

Once all the bets are made, the fifth and last card is dealt face up. There is another round of betting, and then a showdown takes place where all the hands are revealed. The player with the best 5 card poker hand wins the pot.

Poker is a game of chance, and even the world’s best players sometimes suffer bad beats. However, there are ways to minimize the impact of variance on a player’s bankroll through prudent money management and by playing against players that you have a skill edge over.