Poker is a card game that can be played between two and seven players. It uses a standard 52 card English deck and can be played with or without jokers. It is a game of skill and can be learned fairly quickly but requires thousands of hands to become proficient at any particular variant.

Unlike other card games, poker is a strategic and mathematical game. Players place money into the pot based on expected value, psychology and game theory. The result of a hand is influenced by chance, but long-run expectations are largely determined by the strategy chosen by a player.

To be successful in poker you need to concentrate and observe the other players at the table. This includes their eye movements, idiosyncrasies and betting behavior. It’s also important to learn how to read tells. For example, if someone frequently calls and suddenly raises they could be holding a strong hand.

The most popular variant of poker is Texas Hold ’em. Each player is dealt two cards, known as their hole cards, and five community cards are placed on the board in three stages; a pair of cards, referred to as the flop, then an additional card, referred to as the turn and finally a single card, referred to as the river.

The highest five-card hand wins the pot. The winnings are shared if two players have the same hand. Other types of poker include: