Poker is a card game played by two or more players. It is a game of chance, but players can also make strategic decisions based on probability and psychology.

The game is played with a standard 52-card deck, although some games use different rules for the cards and how they are dealt. The game originated in Europe and spread to the United States during the American Civil War. It is now a popular recreational and competitive game, both in casinos and at home.

Depending on the game, players may be required to put an initial amount of money into the pot before cards are dealt. This is called a forced bet and can take the form of antes or blinds. Once all players have placed their forced bets, the first round of betting begins.

After the first round of betting, 2 more cards are dealt face up on the table. This is known as the flop and starts a new round of betting. Players can choose to fold their hand (drop it), call the current bet (match it), raise it, or check (decline to place a bet and reserving the right to do so later in the round).

Players can also win by using bluffing to trick other players into thinking they have a good hand when they don’t. The value of a poker hand is in inverse proportion to its mathematical frequency; the rarer a hand is, the higher its rank.