Poker is a card game played between a small number of players (usually two) who each have chips representing money to bet with. Each player attempts to make the best possible five-card “hand” using their own two personal cards and the five community cards on the table. The highest hand wins the pot, which is all the chips bet so far on a single deal.
A player may “call” a bet by putting the same number of chips into the pot as the player to their left; raise it, which means increasing the amount of money in the pot; or drop (“fold”), which means leaving the game. If a player chooses to call a bet, they must remain in the game until the next betting interval (or “round”) ends.
The most common type of poker tournament is a series of matches, each with a small number of competitors. This is the usual format for team sports, racket sports, combat sports, many board games, and competitive debating. A competitor who wins a large number of these matches is declared the overall winner of the competition.
In some forms of poker, the players establish a fund, usually a low-denomination chip, called a kitty, which they contribute to at each betting interval, in addition to any forced bets. This is used to pay for new decks of cards and food and drinks. When a player leaves the game before the end of a round, they must cut the kitty, so that all players receive equal shares of the chips in the kitty.