Poker is a card game played between two or more players and involves betting. The goal of the game is to form a winning hand from the cards you are dealt and the community cards in accordance with the rules of the specific poker variant being played. The player with the highest hand wins the pot. If there is a tie, the players with a winning hand divide the pot evenly.
The first round of betting begins after all the players have received their hole cards (private) and the dealer has shuffled the deck and cut it. This is known as the flop. Players then begin placing bets into the pot. Depending on the poker variant, these may be forced bets, such as an ante or blind, or voluntary bets made by players who believe their bet has a positive expected value.
Once all the players have placed their bets into the pot, they take turns revealing their hands. The player who begins this process is called the button or dealer. Each player must reveal their cards, but if they choose not to do so, they cannot win the pot.
If the player believes that their hand is strong and they can win the pot, they can raise the amount of money they are betting by saying “raise.” This will force weaker hands to fold and will increase the pot size. However, raising a bet can also backfire and cause the player to lose their entire stack!