Poker is a card game that is played by two or more players and involves betting. The goal is to make a best five-card hand from the cards in your hand (hole cards) and the community cards on the table. Depending on the rules of your poker variant, you may also draw replacement cards to improve your hand.

There are a number of different poker games, each with its own rules, strategies, and etiquette. Some are played with a standard 52-card English deck; others, such as draw poker and stud poker, use an expanded version of the deck.

When playing poker, you must know how to read your opponents’ body language and other nonverbal cues. This is referred to as reading tells and is a crucial part of the game. If you are able to read your opponents’ body language, you can know whether they are holding a strong or weak hand before the cards are even dealt.

After each deal, there is a round of betting. The first player to the left of the dealer is the button player and makes the first bet. Each player then has the option of raising or folding his or her hand.

A raise means increasing your bet, indicating that you are interested in continuing the hand. A fold means you are discarding your hand and will not participate in the next round of betting. The higher your bet, the greater the chance that you will win the pot.