Poker is a card game in which players bet on the strength of their hand. A hand can consist of two personal cards plus five community cards, which are shared by all the players. There are several types of hands, but a full house is the highest. It consists of three matching cards of one rank and two matching cards of another, while a flush consists of five consecutive cards of the same suit.
The game of poker can be played by any number of players, though a minimum of six is recommended. Players compete to win the pot, which is the aggregate amount of bets placed during any one deal. A player may call a bet, raise it or fold.
Before the deal, each player is required to make a contribution into the pot, called an ante. The player to the left of the dealer then cuts the deck. The dealer shuffles and deals the cards to the players, starting with the player to their left. During each betting interval, the dealer offers the shuffled pack to his or her opponent for a cut.
The first player to act during a betting interval raises the bet. If no other player calls the bet, then the player may raise it again or fold. When a player raises, they must increase their previous bet by the specified amount or face being all-in. If a player is all-in, then they are wagering their entire stack of chips in the current betting round.