Poker is a card game in which players compete to assemble the best possible hand of cards and win cash or chips. While luck plays a large role in determining the winner of each hand, over time skill can eliminate most of the variance caused by chance. An article about Poker can explain the rules of the game, describe different types of poker hands, and entertain readers with personal anecdotes or poker technique tips such as reading body language for tells.
Each round of betting begins with 2 mandatory bets called blinds put into the pot by the two players to the left of the dealer. Once all players have received their hole cards, one more card is dealt face up. After this there is another round of betting.
When all the players have finished putting in their bets, they reveal their cards and evaluate them. The player with the best 5-card hand wins the pot. If there is a tie, the best hands share the pot. A player may also choose to fold his cards, thereby forfeiting his right to the pot.
Some poker variants have a special fund, called the kitty, into which all players contribute equally. This fund is used to buy new decks of cards and to pay for food and drinks. Often players will agree to split any money in the kitty at the end of the game. This differs from other games where any player who leaves the game before the end of a round is not entitled to take his share of the money in the kitty.