Poker is a card game played by two or more players with “chips” (representing money) which they place in a common pot during betting rounds. Each player uses his own hidden cards in conjunction with the five community cards to form a hand. If his hand is the highest ranked when the final round of betting ends, he collects the “pot” (all bets placed during that round).
A number of early vying games were probably the ancestors of Poker, but the game was most likely to have originated in culturally French territory given the name Glic (French 17th and 18th centuries) and its derivative Brag (18th century to present) and Bouillotte (17th and 18th centuries, French and American).
Each player places in the pot a number of chips equal to or at least close to the total amount placed by the player who went before him. This player then has the option to raise this stake by an agreed increment. If he raises, then each subsequent player must either Call or Fold. Betting usually stops after a short number of raises since raising further would risk forcing out many players who have already invested a substantial amount in the hand.
A good poker player combines probability and psychology to make effective calls and folds according to a strategy designed to accurately predict his opponent’s hands. This skill enables him to make long-term profitable decisions that benefit both himself and his opponents.