Poker is a card game that can be played socially for pennies and matchsticks or professionally for thousands of dollars. While there is a significant amount of luck involved, poker also requires a great deal of skill and psychology.

The game is typically played with a standard pack of 52 cards (although some variant games use multiple packs or add one or two jokers). Each player receives two private cards, called hole cards. These are dealt face down. Five community cards are then dealt in three stages: a series of three (“the flop”), followed by another single card (the turn) and finally an additional single card (“the river”). Players seek to make the best five-card poker hand using their two hole cards and the community cards.

Betting is an important part of the game, with players putting in an initial contribution to the pot before being dealt their cards, known as an ante. Then, at betting intervals throughout the hand, players can raise their hands or fold. The highest hand wins the pot.

The game has gained tremendous popularity since the 2000s, particularly due to the rise of no-limit Texas hold ’em, which replaced seven-card stud as the most popular form of the game in casinos and on television. The emergence of the game as a major form of gambling has led to increased regulation and licensing of casinos and poker tournaments. Also, the game has become a popular pastime in online casinos.