Poker is a card game of strategy and chance played between two or more players. Its rules and variations vary, but the object is to win a pot consisting of all bets made by players in any one deal. Players can win the pot by having the highest-ranking poker hand or by making a bet that no other player calls. In some forms of the game, a single player can bet his entire stake; in others, all bets must be made by all players at the table.

The game has gained huge popularity since the early 21st century, especially as a spectator sport. This has been fueled by the invention of hole-card cameras that allow viewers to see the cards as they are dealt, as well as by television broadcasts of major tournaments such as the World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour.

There are a number of different ways to play Poker, but in almost all variants, the cards are dealt from a standard 52-card pack and each player has a turn to act at any time during a betting interval. The game may also have Wild Cards (usually jokers) that can take on any suit and rank the player wishes, or specific ranks of card (aces, kings, queens, jacks, etc.).

At the beginning of each betting interval, the player to the left of the dealer places into the pot the amount equal to the total staked by all players so far, plus any additional bets he chooses to make. He must continue to do this until he either raises the amount he has staked or else he must fold.

It is possible for a player to equalize his bet by placing into the pot the amount required to bring him above the amount raised by the last player, and thus remain in the pot until a showdown. However, this method of equalization is often used by players as a means to bluff.

Articles about poker history mention a large variety of earlier vying games, but it is believed that Poker most closely resembles the Renaissance game of primero and that it has its roots in the French game poque and the English game brag. The latter descended from the French game brelan and already incorporated bluffing.

There are several types of poker hands, but the most common are the straight and the flush. A straight is a combination of five consecutive cards in the same order, while a flush is a combination of four of the same suit. The high card breaks ties in the case of a tie between two pairs. A pair is any two cards of the same rank. In some cases, a third card is added to the second pair, which is called a three-card straight. This is also used to break ties between the highest and second-highest hands, as well as between a pair and an unpaired hand.