Poker is a card game in which players place bets on the outcome of a hand. It is a popular pastime and has many variants. The most common tournament structure is a round robin event in which a player competes in multiple iterations of the same game, ideally against a new opponent for each iteration.

A poker tournament is an event at a store, convention, or other venue where players can show up with their favorite games and compete against each other for the chance to win exciting prizes! It’s usually a good idea to ask an organizer what kind of tournament structure they will use ahead of time, as the structure defines the number of rounds and how long the event will last.

Each player must purchase a set amount of chips before the start of the tournament, and these are known as the buy-ins. Once the players have all bought in, the dealer shuffles the cards and deals each player one card at a time, starting with the player to their left. The player may then raise or fold their bet, with the bets going into the central pot (known as the “pot”).

It’s important to stay aggressive in poker, especially if you are short-stacked. This is because you want to maximize your post-flop pots with weak opponents. It’s also important to learn how to bluff, as a good bluff can often get you farther than just playing it safe and waiting for the best hands.