Poker is a card game in which players place bets on the probability that they have a winning hand. There are many variants of this game, but they all have some things in common: Each player must put a certain amount of chips into the pot (representing money) before they can call, raise, or fold. Some variants of poker also require players to make forced bets called blind bets. These bets happen before each player is dealt their cards, and players take turns making them in turn.
After the betting phase, there is a round of cards that are revealed to all players. These cards are known as the flop, and they form part of each player’s 5-card hand. The player with the highest-ranking hand wins the pot.
There are usually several rounds of betting, but the game can only be won by one player who has a high-ranking hand. If no players have a high-ranking hand after the final betting round, there is a showdown where each remaining player shows their cards and declares their winning hand. In some cases, players may choose to reveal their hands in spite of losing the betting, but they can no longer compete for the pot. In these cases, the player who has a high-ranking card wins the pot. This is called a “showdown.” There are other ways to win the pot, including by putting all of your remaining chips into the pot, which is a call.