Poker is a card game played by 2 or more players against one another. There are many different forms of the game, but they all share the same basic rules. The object is to win the pot, which consists of all the bets made during a deal. The pot can be won by having the highest-ranking hand, or by betting so much that no other player calls.

The rules of Poker are complex, but the basics are easy to understand. Each player starts with two cards, known as hole cards, and then five community cards are dealt face up in stages, including three cards called the flop, an additional card called the turn, and a final card called the river. Each stage triggers a round of betting.

Players can raise the amount of money they bet by saying “raise.” They can also call a bet (match it) or fold. A player who wants to stay in the pot must match or raise the stakes of the last active player.

A tournament is a competition in which teams or individuals compete against each other and are judged on the number of sets won. These types of competitions are common in team sports, racket and combat sports, some card games and board games, and a variety of competitive debating formats. Tournaments may also be single-elimination, meaning a single loss results in elimination from the tournament. Generally, these bracket types are more efficient than double-elimination (DE) brackets, but they can be stressful on players who lose.