Poker is a card game in which players wager money against one another. Each player is dealt five cards and the player with the highest poker hand wins the pot. A typical poker game has a minimum ante of chips and there are usually multiple betting rounds. Players may also agree in advance that even if they don’t win the entire pot they will share in it in some way.

The earliest written record of poker dates back to the 1820s, but the game likely evolved from other games with similar rules. In the early days, poker was played with a standard deck of 52 cards. Today, most poker games use multiple packs of cards and some include jokers. There are four suits (spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs) but the rank of a card is independent of its suit. Two identical cards are considered tied for the same rank.

After the initial ante is placed (this is often mandatory, depending on the game) the dealer shuffles the cards and deals them to the players, starting with the player on their left. The dealer then puts three more cards on the table that anyone can use called the flop. After the flop there is another betting round.

If you want to play poker it’s a good idea to find a local club or home game that holds regular meetings. These are great places to learn the game and get familiar with the rules. It’s also a good idea to join a training site that stays up to date with modern poker strategy and game theory.