Poker is a card game played with one or more cards. It is usually played in rounds, with betting between hands. There are a number of different rules that vary by game. Some games are card-only, while others are mixed-games involving both cards and other objects such as coins or buttons. Players can also choose to bet either partially or entirely on their hands. Some bets are forced, but most are made voluntarily by players who believe that the bet has positive expected value or who are attempting to bluff other players for strategic reasons.
Each player begins by “buying in” with a number of chips equal to the minimum ante or blind bet. The dealer then shuffles the cards and deals them to each player, beginning with the player on their left. The cards may be dealt face up or down, depending on the variant of poker being played. After the initial deal, each player is placed in a betting position, and the first round of betting begins.
Over time, the goal of any good poker player is to maximise the value of their winning hands while minimising losses from losing hands. Whilst luck will always play a part in any hand, players can control the amount of skill that is applied by making intelligent bets on the basis of probability, psychology, and game theory. This approach to the game is known as MinMax, and it is at the heart of what makes poker unique amongst all other games.
