Poker is a card game in which players wager chips (representing money) against one another. The object is to win the pot, which is the sum of all bets made during a deal. This may be accomplished by holding the highest-ranking poker hand or by making a bet that no other player calls.

Regardless of the number of players, there is always a minimum amount of money that must be placed into the pot before cards are dealt. This is called the ante and it is usually determined by the rules of the particular poker variant being played.

The cards are then dealt. Each player then takes turns revealing their hands. The player with the best 5-card hand wins the pot. Sometimes there is a tie for the best 5-card hand, in which case the pot is split amongst all players who have a qualifying hand.

The first step in improving your poker game is learning the basic rules and understanding hand rankings. Once you have a grasp on these fundamentals, you can move on to more advanced concepts like starting hands and position. These are the foundations that allow you to make more profitable decisions at the table and improve your chances of winning.