The game of poker is a social card game played by two or more people. Each player has a turn betting into the pot. They may check (not put any money into the pot), call (match another player’s bet), or raise (bet a larger amount than the previous player). Each action gives information to your opponents about your intentions. The information they piece together will allow them to construct a story about your strength or weakness.

The basic objective is to win the pot, which is the total amount of money bet on a hand. A hand is won if all players fold or if the winner has the best possible hand. The highest hand is the royal flush, followed by a straight, three of a kind, two pair, and one pair.

In a standard 52-card deck, a single pack is dealt, but it is common to use two packs of contrasting colors in order to speed up the deal. Each time the dealer deals a hand, the previous player assembles the cards from his or her part of the deck, shuffles them, and passes them to the left for the next deal.

A good strategy is to balance your calling and raising tendencies, while trying not to expose your hand too early in the betting. Often this will allow you to bluff your way into winning small pots, especially in late position. However, bluffing should be used sparingly as it can also give away valuable information about your hand.