Poker is a card game that is played by two or more people. The object is to win the “pot” by having the highest-ranking poker hand at the end of a betting round. A player may also bluff in order to increase the value of their pot. Poker requires a high level of concentration and the ability to read others’ expressions and body language.

Most variants of poker require a certain number of chips to play. Typically, a white chip is worth the minimum ante or bet; a red chip is worth five whites; and a blue chip is worth 10 or 20 whites. Players may buy in for any amount of chips, but they must reveal their hands at the end of each betting phase (or “round”).

During each round, the players make bets in turn. Each player can either “call” the previous player’s bet by putting into the pot the same number of chips; raise the bet by putting in more than the previous player; or drop out of the round by not placing any chips into the pot.

In some games, players also contribute to a pot-building fund called a kitty, which is used for purchasing new decks of cards and paying for food and drinks at the table. In some cases, the players will agree to split the kitty evenly amongst themselves when the game ends. In other instances, the players will keep their shares of the kitty if they leave before the game is over.