Poker is a card game in which players place bets (called chips, representing money) into a pot to compete for the best hand. Unlike many other card games, poker has a high level of skill involved in betting and can be a profitable endeavor for the player.
A poker hand consists of five cards, with the highest ranked hand winning the pot. Typically, each player will place their bet in the middle of the table (called the pot) during each betting interval. Each player may choose to raise their bets during the betting intervals. This can be done by saying “raise” and forcing the other players to either call your new bet or fold their hands.
After the betting intervals are over, remaining players show their cards in a “showdown” and the player with the best poker hand wins the pot. During the betting intervals, each player may also choose to discard their cards and draw replacements for them. In addition, each player can pass the buck, or “pass the buck,” and allow someone else to deal next time.
During the poker game, players may also create a special fund called a kitty. This fund is used to pay for new decks of cards, food and drinks, or whatever other items the players decide. By agreement, the players can cut one low-denomination chip from each pot in which they have more than one raise and put it into the kitty. Any chips left in the kitty when the poker game ends are divided equally among the players who are still in the hand.