Poker is a card game that requires skill to win. It is played by two or more players with cards and chips (representing money). The dealer deals each player two cards face down, which are called hole cards. After a betting interval, each player shows their hand and the highest ranking hand wins. There are a number of different poker games with varying rules and strategies.

The game was first popularized in America, where it spread from glitzy Las Vegas casinos to seedy underground rooms. The game became more organized in the 1970s when the World Series of Poker was created to declare a champion. Today, poker is still a popular pastime and is played by millions of people in many countries around the world.

To play poker, all you need is a table and some surrounding chairs for players to sit in. A full deck of cards is dealt to each player and there is a betting interval between each deal. Each player can either fold his or her hand, call the bet made by the person to their left, or raise the bet. When raising the bet, a player must place enough chips in the pot to make his or her contribution at least equal to the amount placed in the pot by the person before him.

A good poker player is able to read and interpret his or her opponents’ tells, which are unconscious habits that reveal information about the cards being held in a hand. These tells can be as simple as a change in posture or as complex as body language or facial expression.