Poker is a game in which players compete against each other to win money. Players place bets on chips that represent money in the pot. At the end of the round, the chips in the pot are collected and the pot is then shared among all players. During the game, players are not allowed to cash out their chips before the game is over.

Poker has many different variations. In some versions, players are required to put in an ante before the game begins. The ante is usually the minimum amount a player must wager to participate. In other variations, players are required to put in an ante before the cards are dealt. During a hand, a player may make more than one bet.

A game of poker can be played with as few as two or as many as eight players. The ideal number of players is six to eight. The pot is the sum of the bets made by all players in a single deal. The player with the best poker hand wins the pot. Alternatively, a player can win the pot by making a bet that no other player calls.

A player who declines to bet is said to have folded. In poker, it is important to understand the role of a dealer in a game. A dealer is responsible for shuffling the deck and dealing the cards to the players. A dealer may be a player or non-player.