Poker is a type of game in which players make bets on their hands. It is played in casinos, private homes, and in clubs. It can also be played online. The player with the best hand at the end of a round wins the pot.

All poker games involve one or more rounds of betting. The betting intervals are usually interrupted by a dealer button (known as a buck in poker) which is a white plastic disk.

After the first betting interval, each player is dealt a card. These cards are face up. A player may choose to bet or fold. The player who chooses to bet must match the previous bet. Those who do not want to bet must either fold or check.

In some forms of poker, there are forced bets. These can be blind bets, ante bets, or bets that require a player to contribute a certain amount to the pot. These types of bets must be made before the player can get any of his or her cards.

A pair is a hand that contains two matching cards. A pair of aces is the lowest pair. Another common poker hand is the flush. A flush is a five-card hand in which each card is of the same suit.

Poker can be played with up to eight players. The number of cards and the number of players in a hand depends on the game and location. It is usually recommended to play with six or eight players.