Poker is a card game in which players wager money against one another. The player with the highest-ranked hand wins the pot. Players can also win by bluffing, betting that they have a strong hand when they do not. In addition to the basic rules of poker, there are a number of variations of the game.

The first step in learning how to play poker is familiarizing yourself with the game’s rules and hand rankings. This can be done by reading poker books or online articles. It can also help to watch other people play the game to see how they make their decisions. Lastly, it is important to practice as much as possible in order to develop quick instincts.

When the shuffling is complete, the dealer deals each player four cards face up. These cards are called the flop. Then the players can decide whether to raise or fold their hands. The winner is the player with the best five-card hand.

A poker hand is a set of cards that rank in value in inverse proportion to their mathematical frequency. A high-ranked hand is a pair of matching cards, a three-of-a-kind, or a full house. A straight contains five consecutive cards of the same rank, while a flush contains any combination of 5 cards of the same suit. A high-ranked bluff is a made hand that appears weak and can be called by other players.