Poker is a card game played by a group of players. It is almost always played with poker chips, which represent money, and the player who contributes the most to each pot wins. Each player must have a minimum number of poker chips, called a buy-in, to be active in the game. The amount a player contributes to the pot in each betting interval is determined by the rules of the particular poker variant being played.
The first two cards are dealt to each player and betting begins. If a player has a good poker hand then they should stay in the hand, otherwise they should fold it. If they have a bad poker hand then they should bluff to try and make the other players fold their good hands. If they can bluff successfully enough then their bad hand will be beat and they will win the pot.
When playing poker it is important to learn to read your opponents. A large part of this is learning to identify their betting patterns. Many poker players will have a very conservative style of play and only bet when they think their hand is strong. This type of player can often be bluffed into folding by aggressive players. Another way to read your opponents is to watch them closely for physical tells, such as sniffing, scratching their nose, blinking excessively or staring at the table. All of these are usually signs that a player is nervous or holding a weak poker hand.