Poker is a mind game that puts an individual’s analytical, mathematical and interpersonal skills to the test. It is also a game that indirectly teaches some important life lessons.

Poker involves betting between players using chips that represent money. Each player must put a certain amount of money into the pot before any other players can bet. This amount is called the ante. Then, depending on the game variant and the rules of that particular game, the player may say “call” to match another player’s bet or “raise” to increase the amount he is betting. The other players then have the choice to call or fold.

The goal of the game is to form a poker hand, based on card rankings, in order to win the pot, which consists of all the bets made in each betting interval. A poker hand must be higher than the one formed by the opponent in order to win the pot.

A poker hand is made up of cards of the same rank (such as a pair) or two matching cards of different ranks plus three unmatched cards. There are also other hands, such as a straight or a flush, which consist of five consecutive cards of the same suit (such as a 5 of clubs).

A good poker player knows when to play strong value hands and when to bluff. It is best to make a decision after studying the odds of hitting your hand and then balancing this against your opponents’ implied odds.