Poker is a card game that requires a certain amount of luck and skill. A good poker player must have the ability to read opponents, make decisions under pressure and manage risk. In addition, a player must be able to bluff effectively. These skills are a key component of success in both poker and in life.

Depending on the type of poker being played, one or more betting intervals take place before all cards are dealt face up at the end of the hand (called a showdown). Players must ante a fixed amount of money before being dealt their cards. After this, each player may call, raise or fold. Those who remain in the pot and have the best hand win the pot, which is comprised of all of the bets that players placed on their turns. In many games, the players must contribute at least as much to the pot as the player who raised them.

A poker game also has a dealer who is responsible for shuffling the deck and dealing the cards. Often, this role is assigned to a non-player who passes the duties on to another player after each round of betting.

A kitty is a fund established by the players to pay for things like new decks of cards and food and drinks during the course of a game. This kitty is usually made up of a low denomination chip that each player is required to contribute to when they raise money during a betting interval. Any chips left in the kitty when the game ends are divided equally among the players who were still in the pot.