Poker is a card game played by two or more players on a table. It is a fast-paced game with many betting rounds. Each player has his or her own stack of chips that are used to make bets during the game. The chips have different colors and values, with a white chip being worth the minimum ante or bet; a red chip is usually worth five whites; and a blue chip is often worth 10 or 20 or 25 whites.

During the game, each player is dealt two cards face down, known as their hole cards. These are followed by a series of three community cards, called the flop, then a single additional card, referred to as the turn, and then a final card, called the river. Players may discard one or more of their cards and draw replacements, depending on the rules of the game being played.

In the betting rounds, a player may raise or call another player’s bet. A raised bet is a sign that the player thinks that their hand is stronger than the other player’s, and this makes it more likely that they will win the round.

During a round, players can also “check” if they do not want to bet and wait for the next player’s turn to act. During this time, the players can watch the other players and learn their tells (unconscious habits or idiosyncrasies that reveal information about their hands). They can then try to pick up on clues that the other players are hiding a strong hand.