Official poker is played with a standard 52-card pack, often including one or two jokers. There are a wide variety of games that use this basic card set. All of these games follow a similar pattern of dealing and betting, with the winner being whoever holds the highest-ranked hand.

A number of variations require players to place an initial contribution into the pot, called an ante or blind bet. This helps to fund a portion of the overall pot and is considered an essential component of the game.

When the game begins, the dealer shuffles the cards and then deals each player a number of cards according to the rules of the specific poker variant being played. Depending on the game, these cards may be dealt face-up or face down. The dealer then reveals the cards and the first betting round begins.

The number of players and the rules of each poker variation will determine how many rounds there are during a game, but each one usually involves betting between two or more players. During this time, the players attempt to build the best possible poker hand by raising bets and folding when they don’t have a good one.

There is a great deal of skill involved in the game and the ability to read the opponents is one of the keys to success. Nevertheless, the rules are strictly enforced. Verbally stating an intention to call or raise is binding, and it is against the rules to do so out of turn.