The game of poker is played between 2 to 14 players, with the object being to win a pot consisting of all bets placed during a hand. Players place these bets voluntarily, either believing they have the best poker hand or hoping to bluff other players for various strategic reasons. While the outcome of any individual poker hand largely involves chance, in the long run players make decisions on the basis of probability theory, game theory, and psychology.
All poker games use a standard 52-card deck, although some may add wild cards or other variant rules. The cards are ranked from high to low in the suits (spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs). A poker hand consists of five cards, and the highest-ranking hand wins the pot.
After the antes have been put in, there is a betting interval, and one player as designated by the rules of the specific poker variant has the privilege or obligation to make the first bet. All other players must either call this bet or fold.
During the next betting round, the dealer deals three additional cards face-up on the table, which are community cards that anyone can use. This is known as the flop. Once again there is another betting interval, and once all players are still in the hand, the dealer puts a fifth card on the board that everyone can use, which is called the turn. At this point, the last betting phase takes place, and if all but one player have folded, the highest-ranked poker hand wins the pot.