Poker is a card game played by two or more players. It originated on riverboats in the Mississippi River valley in the mid-1800s and was popular in Civil War saloons and Wild West frontier towns. The game is characterized by betting rounds and showdowns in which the player with the highest-ranked hand wins. The winner receives all the chips in the pot – the amount that has been bet during the hand.

The game is played with a standard 52-card deck of English-language poker cards and a variety of poker chips, each representing a different value. The lightest chip, known as a white chip, is worth the minimum ante bet; blue and black chips are both valued at five whites; and the red chip is worth either ten or twenty whites.

There are many variations of the game, but all poker games share some characteristics:

Unlike most casino games, where luck plays an important role, over time skill outweighs luck in poker. The most successful poker players have developed their skills through careful study of a range of topics, including complex math, human emotions, psychology, nutrition, money management and bet sizes.

There are many poker books available that detail specific strategies, but the most effective players develop their own strategy by detailed self-examination of their hands and playing styles. They may also discuss their hands and strategies with other players for an objective look at their weaknesses and strengths. They also make a point of bluffing aggressively in order to deceive their opponents and improve their chances of winning.