Poker is a card game of chance and skill that originated in the United States around the end of the 18th century. Today, it is an international card game played by millions of people. It is played with two or more players and a standard 52-card pack, including one or more jokers. The cards are dealt one at a time, with a betting round after each deal. The first player to reveal their hand wins the pot. Initially, there are 2 mandatory bets (called blind bets) put into the pot by the players to the left of the dealer. These bets are placed to give a positive expected value for the players and create an incentive for them to continue to play.
The game of poker has many variations, some using a single pack and others using more than one. In most games, the dealer shuffles the pack and then deals each player a set number of cards, beginning with the player on their left. The cards may be dealt face-up or face-down. The dealer typically passes the dealer chip to a new player after each hand.
When it is your turn to bet, you can either call the last person’s raise or fold your hand. To call, you say “I call” or “I’m calling.” If you do call, you must match the last bet amount in chips or cash and place it into the pot. If you fold, you are out of the hand.