Poker is a card game that combines luck and skill. Those with the best skills are the ones who win more often than those who play a purely luck-driven strategy. However, even the most skilled player can run bad streaks and lose money at times. The key is to know the rules of the game and understand how to win.

A hand of poker is divided into four betting rounds. During each round, players can choose to check (pass), bet, call another player’s raise, or fold. Once the final betting is complete, the remaining players expose their hole cards and a winning hand is determined.

There are many different variants of poker, and the rules for each vary slightly from one region to the next. Regardless of the variation, all official poker games follow a written code of poker laws that serve as the final arbiter for any disputes or disagreements during a game. It is also a tradition that any club or group of poker players may make customary house rules to suit their personal preferences, but these must be clearly defined and made known to all members of the poker table.

It is considered bad etiquette to use a mobile phone at the poker table. Cell phones must be turned off or set to silent so as not to distract other players. Ring tones, music, photos, videos and betting apps may not be used at the poker table unless approved by the TD. Players must have visible and countable chip stacks (Rule 25) when not actively playing a hand.