Poker is a card game where individuals compete for an amount of money contributed by all players called the pot. It’s a game of chance, but it also involves considerable strategy and psychology.

The rules of official poker vary from casino to casino and tournament to tournament, but there are a few common elements. Players must act in good faith and not lie about their cards or their betting intentions. Verbally declaring an action such as a call, raise, or fold is binding, and the player is held to that action unless they verbally withdraw it.

When playing in a tournament, only a small percentage of players will receive any money. This means that a player must be very careful when making decisions in order to maximize their chances of winning. This is especially important when it comes to the bubble, where a short stack must fight to make it into the money.

A standard poker set includes a standard 52-card pack with the addition of one or two jokers. The joker is a wild card that can be used to complete a flush or certain other hands. Deuces are also wild and can be used to complete straights or three of a kind hands.

Before the introduction of poker tournaments, all poker games were played for real cash. Although this practice is still common, many casinos and tournaments now use poker chips that represent money in place of actual currency. The values of these poker chips may differ between different establishments, but most tournaments have identical poker chip colors for their highest denominations.