Poker is a card game of chance, but it also requires a certain amount of skill, knowledge and psychology. Players can win money by making a high-ranking poker hand or by bluffing other players for strategic reasons. Poker can be played with as few as two players and up to 14 or more. The object of the game is to win a pot, which consists of all bets made during one deal.
There are many different types of poker, but the rules are generally similar. Players begin the game by “buying in” a set number of chips, which represent money that they are willing to put into the pot for the right to call a bet. Each player is then dealt two cards, which may be face up or down. Each player then has the option to either make a bet (called “calling”), raise it or fold. The player who calls puts chips into the pot equal to or greater than the amount called by the player before him. If a player raises, he must put the same amount into the pot as the player before him or drop out of the betting interval (and the game).
When you are dealt a hand and it is not very good, it is usually a good idea to raise preflop. This will give players behind enticing pot odds to join the action and increase your chances of winning. However, there are some circumstances in which it is correct to limp, such as when at least one other player has already limped.