A poker game is a card game in which players place bets on the outcome of a hand. The game may be played by two or more players, and the object is to win the pot, which is the aggregate amount of all bets made in a single deal. A player can win the pot by having a high-ranking poker hand, or by making a bet that no other player calls. The game also provides many mechanisms by which players can strategically misinform each other about the strength of their hands.

The game is generally played from a standard 52-card deck, although some games use multiple packs or add cards called jokers. The cards are ranked (from highest to lowest) as Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 7, 5, 4, 3 and 2, with the highest hand winning. Some poker games include wild cards that can take on the rank and suit of the card they are used as, for example one-eyed jacks or duces.

After each player has received their 2 hole cards, a round of betting starts. The first player to make a bet is said to raise, while a player who exactly matches the previous bet is called calling. Players may also check, which means that they do not want to raise the bet and will stay in the hand.

Expert poker players are adept at extracting signal from noise and integrating information about their opponents, both to exploit them and to protect themselves. While in-person knowledge is often important, most online experts rely on software and other resources, building behavioral dossiers on their opponents and even purchasing records of their past plays.