Poker is a card game with a history of diverse cultures and a reputation for being a game of chance, but it also involves significant skill and psychology. The game is played by placing chips into a central pot and betting on the outcome of a hand based on a combination of probability, psychology and game theory.

The player with the highest-ranking five-card hand wins the pot. In the event of a tie, the players with winning hands divide the pot equally. The cards are then reshuffled and the process begins again.

A player can choose to call, raise or fold. To call, a player must place chips or cash into the pot equal to the amount raised by the player before them. To raise, a player must place a bet higher than the previous player. To fold, a player surrenders the hand and loses any bets placed on it.

In the beginning of a hand, players are typically feeling each other out with low-level bets and possible bluffs. As the action progresses, it becomes increasingly important to focus on the people in the scene and their reactions to the cards that are dealt. Identify who flinched, who smiled and who didn’t even blink.