Poker is a card game in which players compete for the pot (money bet by all). The best 5-card hand wins all the money put down as buy-in at the table. The game has a large number of variations, but the game play is largely the same across them.
Before a hand is dealt, one or more players must make forced bets, known as an ante and/or blinds. The player to the left of the button posts the small blind, and the player to his left posts the big blind. These bets are called the “blinds” and help ensure that the game is not dominated by a few players.
After the blinds have been posted, the dealer shuffles the cards and deals them in rotation to each player. The dealer may also offer the shuffled pack to any opponent for a cut, but he has the last right to do so.
The first player to act raises the pot. Each active player must either match the last raise or fold. If he chooses to raise the pot further, he must also call any bets that have been raised since his turn.
If no player has a high enough hand to win the pot, it ends in a draw and the players who have a high enough hand share the winnings. The game can also end in a split pot, in which case the players who have the highest hands divide the money equally.