Poker is a card game that involves betting and the development of a strategy by players during a series of rounds. A player with the best five-card poker hand wins all bets made during that round, called the pot. The pot includes all the chips placed in forced bets, such as an ante or blind bet. Players may also place additional money into the pot, called raising.
The cards are dealt face-down, and the first betting round begins when a player in turn makes a bet. The player to their right must either call or raise this bet. Players who choose not to raise can fold, in which case they forfeit their hand. In fixed-limit games, a limit is set on the amount of money that can be raised during each betting interval.
In many poker variants, some of the players are required to make forced bets, usually an ante and a blind bet (or both). These bets must be made before each player is dealt a complete set of cards. If a player decides that their hand is not good, they can check. This option is not available in all games, and there are some variations that do not allow a player to check if the player to their left has raised a bet.
Some poker games are played with a special fund, called the kitty, that all players contribute to throughout the game. This is used to pay for the next deck of cards and any other expenses associated with the game. When the game ends, any money in the kitty is divided equally among the players who remain in the game.