Poker is a card game in which players place bets on their hands. The best hand wins. There are many different versions of poker, but they all share some key similarities. Players must ante up a small amount of money to get their cards, and then they bet in one round. Players can raise and re-raise bets. After the betting is complete, the player with the highest hand shows their cards and the winner takes the pot.
Depending on the rules of the game, there may be a number of side pots in addition to the main pot. If a player calls a bet and someone else raises it, the player who called the original bet must call the new bet or fold.
Some poker games use chips to represent the bets, but most people still play with actual cash. The chips can be any color and have a value assigned to them by the dealer. The players can exchange the chips for cash at any time, but this usually happens only after a betting round is over. Players also typically take turns shuffling and dealing the cards. In some games, the player with the button (the first person to act) is also responsible for cutting the deck. This is a good way to avoid confusion over who has the right to raise and fold.