Poker is a type of gambling game in which players try to form a hand from the cards they are dealt. The aim is to get the best poker hand and win the pot. Several different variations of the game have been developed, and each variation has its own rules.

Poker usually involves two or more betting intervals. In each betting interval, each player is given a hand of cards and is required to place a certain amount of chips into the pot. After this, another round of betting begins. When this is done, all players must discard some of their cards and replace them with new ones.

The goal of each betting interval is to form the strongest hand possible. Ties are broken by a high card, and the highest pair wins. A high card can also break ties when multiple people have the same card. For example, a pair of kings isn’t a great hand off the deal, but a pair of kings and an ace can be very strong.

Each player is dealt with five cards. These can be dealt face up or face down. Depending on the game, a player may be able to discard some of their cards and draw more.

Poker is usually played with plastic or ceramic chips. Dark-colored chips are worth two, four or five reds, while a white chip is worth 10 or 25 whites.

Before the start of the game, the dealer will assign a value to each chip. This value is used to decide which player receives the top chip in the showdown.