Poker is a card game in which players bet in turns, with the object of winning the pot (a sum of all bets made during a hand). It can be played by two or more people. The game can be fast-paced, and the players can choose to fold a hand if they don’t think it has a chance of winning. If a player wants to bet more than the previous person, they can say “raise.” This is done either to force other players into folding their hands or to increase the amount of money in the pot.

When playing poker, it is important to have a good understanding of the rules and to be able to read your opponents. This will help you to make better decisions and improve your chances of winning. A good strategy is to play tight and aggressively. This means that you should only play strong hands and fold weak ones. You should also be able to bluff when necessary.

In some poker games, the players may establish a special fund called the “kitty.” This is usually a low-denomination chip that each player adds to every time they raise a bet. The chips in the kitty are used to pay for new decks of cards and other costs related to the game. Any remaining chips in the kitty when the game ends are divided equally among the players who remain in the game.