Poker is a card game with many variations that can be played as either cash games or tournaments. Tournaments involve a series of matches that each have only a small number of competitors. The winner of the tournament is determined by the aggregate results of all these matches. This format is common in sports, racket sports, combat sports, many card games, board games, and competitive debating.
A hand is won by the player with the best 5-card hand, excluding a pair. This player wins the entire pot, or all of the money that is put down as buy-in by the players at the table. If there is a tie, the pot is shared among the players with the best 5-card hands.
When players receive their two hole cards, a round of betting begins, starting with the player to the left of the dealer. After this round, one more card is dealt face up on the board, called the turn. This is followed by a final round of betting, with players making their bets based on what they have and the type of hand they think they have.
The goal of professional poker players is to extract the most value from winning hands and minimize losses on losing ones – this approach is called minmax. This can be achieved by a variety of methods, including bluffing. However, there are times when it’s better to call a bet instead of trying to bluff at it.