A game of cards in which players place chips (representing money) into a pot and compete for a winning hand. Poker is played in private homes, poker clubs, and casinos. It is also played by Internet users and has become a major spectator sport in the United States. It is considered the national card game of the United States and its rules, jargon, and history have become part of American culture. A key skill in poker is minimizing losses with poor hands and maximizing winnings with good ones.

The rules of each poker variant establish how much a player can bet on his or her hand, and in which order the betting takes place. Usually, one player has the privilege or obligation to make the first bet; then each player must either call that bet or raise it, depending on the rules. Each player may also “drop,” which means he or she places no chips into the pot and discards his or her hand.

Unlike in the other card games, where suit ranks are important, in poker the rank of a hand is determined by its odds. If two players have identical hands, they tie and split any winnings equally.

Some poker rules require that players put an initial contribution, called an ante, into the pot before the cards are dealt. In addition, some poker variants may have blind bets. Players who are not a part of these bets can check, which means that they do not place any chips into the pot and pass their turn to the next player.