Poker is a card game that can be played for money, or just for fun. It involves strategy and skill, and can be a very challenging game to play. This is why it is important to know the basics of the game before you start playing for real money.

The first thing you need to do when playing poker is to determine your starting hand, which is the best combination of cards that you can make using 2 of your own private cards and 5 community cards. This is determined by the type of poker that you are playing, your position at the table and the actions taken by other players.

Before the first betting round, called the flop, every player receives two cards that they can use and secretly keep from everyone else. They can choose to check, call, raise, or fold.

Once the flop is complete, an additional card is dealt to the center of the table for all players to use. This is called the turn and is a separate betting round from the flop.

Another card is dealt to the center of the table in the last betting round, called the river. It is then up to each player to decide whether they want to keep going and go to the showdown with their poker hand, or fold.

If you have a good hand, you can bet the amount of the last person’s bet or raise your own bet. This is called calling and is a way to add more money to the pot.

The first round of betting, known as the ante, is usually a small amount of money. It is decided by the players at the table, and must be placed before the first cards are dealt.

Before the first round of betting, players must decide if they are willing to bet the amount of the ante. If they are not, the player to their left must place a small amount of money in front of them before they can bet.

After the ante is in place, players can start betting by saying “call” or “I call.” If they are not willing to bet the amount of the antes, they must say “fold” or “I fold.”

A player who is not willing to bet the amount of the last person’s antes may be a tight or cautious player. This is a good sign that they are able to evaluate their hand carefully and decide if they have a strong enough hand to continue betting.

In some games, a player who is willing to bet the amount of the last bet can also make a raise, which means that they have an outstanding hand and are willing to put more money into the pot. A player who is not willing to bet that amount can be bluffing, which is when they attempt to get other players to bet the amount of their antes or more.