Poker is a card game in which players bet and raise chips. The player with the best poker hand wins the pot.

A complete poker hand is dealt face down to each player, followed by a betting round and a showdown. Each betting round, or interval, starts when a player makes a bet of one or more chips; other players may either call the bet or raise it.

The highest hand wins the pot if no other player calls; otherwise, the pot is split as evenly as possible among the high hands and the lowest hand. If two hands are tied, the fifth card determines which one wins.

In most variants of poker, the rules are similar: a complete poker hand is dealt and players bet in one round. Betting intervals are followed by a showdown, where the player with the best five-card poker hand wins the pot.

To win a poker hand, you must make the best use of the community cards and your own personal cards. Once the first betting round has been completed, the dealer deals three face-up cards on the table; these are called community cards.

The dealer also puts a fourth community card on the board, which anyone in the hand can use. Once the third betting round is complete, the dealer deals a final community card; this is called the river.

In order to win a hand in poker, you must bet aggressively and make others pay to see your cards. This will force weaker hands out of the hand and boost your pot value.