In Poker, each player contributes an amount of money to the pot before the cards are dealt. This is called an ante. Players may also add to this total at any time by raising a bet made by another player. When a player does raise a bet, the original player may call the bet or fold his hand. In this way, there are often several side pots in addition to the main pot of money.

A standard 52-card pack, sometimes with two jokers, is used in most games. The ace of diamonds, the king of hearts, and the jack of spades are usually designated as wild cards.

When a player has a strong hand, he can try to win the pot by betting against weaker hands. He can also bluff to make other players call his bets, even when he doesn’t have the best hand.

The dealer deals each player two cards face down, then turns up three community cards on the table (the flop). The player to his left acts first in this and every succeeding betting round, by folding, calling, or raising his bet.

A player can raise his bet by increasing it by any amount up to the maximum allowed by the game rules. Generally, however, the player who calls the highest previous bet is said to have raised. Players who do not call a bet are said to check. If a player checks and nobody raises his bet, the betting interval ends.