Poker is a card game played by two or more players. It is often considered a game of chance, but it is primarily a game of skill. The goal is to form the best possible hand based on card rankings in order to win the pot at the end of each betting round. The pot consists of all the bets placed by the players. A player may also bluff in an attempt to deceive their opponents.
The game is played using a standard 52-card English deck. The decks are shuffled before each deal and the players decide whether to use one or both joker cards as wild. The game can be played by two to seven players, but the optimal number is five or six.
There are several important skills that must be mastered to play well. Patience and the ability to read other players are essential, as is discipline and perseverance. Good players also know how to calculate pot odds and percentages quickly and quietly. They can spot tells from their opponents, including nervous habits like fiddling with chips or a ring and adjust accordingly.
In addition, position is a critical factor in poker. Players in early position have a much harder time getting value from their hands than those in late position. Early position is a great place to raise small pocket pairs, for example, but raising them in late position can backfire if someone has been calling and has a strong hand.