A game of chance based on the cards dealt, where minimizing losses with poor hands and maximising wins with good ones is the underlying skill. The rules of poker may vary by game and cardroom, but they typically require players to make an initial contribution to the pot, called the ante. In addition, some forms of poker require a fixed amount to be wagered on each hand, referred to as the blind.

A player’s action may consist of a fold, call, check, or raise. A raise must be at least the size of the previous player’s bet. A player may also talk about their hand possibilities, but not reveal their actual cards unless they have the permission of the dealer or a supervisor. A player may not discuss a hand with anyone while the cards are still in play, and revealing their cards after a showdown is prohibited.

Some forms of poker involve a small number of community cards, which are dealt face up to the players along with their own cards. The objective is to make the best five-card poker hand possible with those shared cards, either by raising and reraising or folding.

Some games of poker are played in tournaments, where all participants pay a predetermined entry fee and start with a set number of chips that have no cash value. When the tournament ends, all of the players who remain in play share the money that is left in the pot. Usually, some of this money is put into a common fund, called the kitty, to be used for things like food and drinks.