Poker is a card game in which players compete to win chips (representing money) by betting on the strength of their hand. While the game can appear to be purely based on chance, it requires a significant amount of skill to play well. Besides basic strategy and psychology, players also need to consider the odds of winning.

The game is typically played from a standard pack of 52 cards, although some variants use multiple packs or add extra cards called Jokers. Each player is dealt a set of cards, and the player to his left must place in the pot an amount of chips (representing money) equal to or greater than the amount placed in the pot by the player before him.

Once everyone has placed their chips in the pot, a single player is designated by the rules of the game to make the first bet, and each subsequent player must match that bet or pass. Players can also choose to raise the ante in addition to or instead of betting.

To keep a story about poker interesting, you need to write about the people playing it, their reactions and the by-play between them. You should also write about tells, which are unconscious habits of poker players that reveal information about their hands. Examples of tells include facial expressions, body language and gestures. If you can read the tells of experienced players, it will help you improve your own game.