Poker is a game played by a number of people on a table. Cards are dealt face up and one card is handed to each player. The objective of the game is to get the other players’ chips. This can be done by placing a bet, showing cards, or bluffing.

Poker can be played with anywhere from four to nine players. However, the ideal number of players is usually six to eight. There are several variations to the game and each variation has its own unique rules.

A five-card draw is the most popular type of poker. Players may draw new cards from a deck of a different suit. Alternatively, they can discard their hand. The best low hand wins half of the pot.

Two players can also tie for the lowest hand. To do so, each player must have a five-card low hand, excluding straights. In some games, the ace is considered the lowest card, and players can play for a low hand by showing a pair of aces.

Other variants of the game have betting intervals. A round of betting is completed once all but one player has folded. Another round of betting is performed once all the cards are revealed.

Some types of the game have forced bets, such as ante and blind. These are bets that a player must make before he or she can play the hand.

A pot is formed after a round of betting. The player who places the first bet in the pot is said to be the active player.