Poker is a game of chance (with some psychology) in which players bet to win a pot – the sum of all bets in a particular hand. It is usually played with a minimum of seven players and a supply of chips. The chips are generally color coded so that a white chip is worth the lowest minimum ante or bet; a red chip is five whites and a blue chip is twenty whites. Each player is also given a number of cards based on the size of their bet, and may exchange them for replacements when necessary.
A poker game begins with each player placing a forced bet, usually either the ante or blind. The dealer then shuffles the cards and passes them out to each player in turn. The player on the chair to the right of the dealer has the option to cut the cards, and then he or she is dealt two cards face up.
After the first betting round is complete three more cards are put on the board, called the flop. Then everyone gets a second chance to check, raise or fold.
Then a fifth card is dealt, which everyone can use to make their final poker hand. At this point the highest ranked poker hand wins the pot. If no one has a winning hand, the players with the lowest ranked poker hands continue betting in order of their ranking. This continues until only one person remains in the poker hand, and that player is declared the winner.