Poker is a game of skill and chance played by a group of players around an oval or circular table. The aim is to form the best hand possible. The player with the best hand takes the pot.

Poker has a number of variants. The most popular type is Texas Hold’Em. A minimum ante is typically required to participate. The ante is the amount of money that players contribute to the pot before the deal.

The ante is usually one dollar or five dollars. This is the minimum bet.

The first player to make a bet is referred to as the bettor. The player who bets more is referred to as the raiser. A player who bets less is referred to as the fold.

The dealer is a member of the group of people playing the game. The dealer may shuffle the cards, pass out the cards to a single player, or pass out all the cards to the whole group. Typically, the deck is shuffled at the beginning of the game.

The earliest version of poker is believed to be a 17th century French game called poque. This evolved into a game similar to Spanish primero and German pochen. The game made its way to the New World through French settlers and the U.S. military.

The game can be played with a large group, but the ideal number of players is usually six to eight. The size of the ante is usually determined by the stakes of the game.