Poker is a game of incomplete information in which players bet using chips (representing money) according to the rules of the variant being played. Each player is dealt two cards, and the goal is to make a best five-card hand using those cards and the five community cards on the table. The highest ranking hand is a royal flush, which consists of four matching cards of the same rank in a single suit. The second highest is a straight, which has five consecutive cards of the same rank in a single suits, and the third is a full house. There are many other possible hands, and players often use the betting action to determine what their opponents are holding.

The cards are shuffled and then passed in rotation around the table until someone draws a jack. The first player to draw a jack becomes the dealer for the current deal. Players may draw replacement cards to improve their current hands as needed. The player to the left of the dealer has the right to cut the deck.

During each betting interval, each player must place in the pot a number of chips (representing money) that is at least equal to the total stake of the last player to call. A player who is unwilling or unable to match the last raise must drop, making them inactive in that deal.

Players can also check if they wish to remain in the hand without placing any additional chips, although this is typically not recommended for new players. A player who checks cannot raise a bet, but can raise their own bet if the previous player has raised.