Official poker is a card game where players wager on the outcome of the hand according to the rules of that specific poker game. It is a game of chance, but it requires significant skill and psychology as well. It can be played socially for pennies or matchsticks, or professionally in casinos for thousands of dollars.

Poker games vary in the number of cards dealt, the amount of betting rounds, and whether a player can make a winning hand with only their own two cards or by combining their own with those of the community. In all cases, players must place an initial contribution into the pot – called an ante or blind bet – to get in the game.

Once the forced bets are made, the dealer shuffles the cards and deals each player a set number of cards, beginning with the person to his or her immediate left. A button, typically a white plastic disk, indicates who has the deal and is moved one position clockwise after each hand. The player to the button’s left must then either call or raise the bet.

After the betting intervals are over, remaining players show their hands and the winner is determined. The player with the best poker hand takes the pot. Players may reveal their hand face up or muck it to prevent the other players from analyzing their bluffing. Some poker games use pot limits, which allow a player to bet any amount up to the amount in the pot, while others are fixed limit games.