Poker is a card game in which players place chips (representing money) into a pot and then bet in turn. The object is to win the pot by having a higher-ranking poker hand than any other player or by making a bet that no one else calls. The game can be played by two to fourteen players, although the ideal number is six to eight. A player may pass on a bet (called folding) or call it, depending on the rules of the particular poker variant being played.
Earlier vying games with similar elements can be traced back to Asia, possibly 10th-century Chinese domino games or 16th-century Persian game As Nas, but the earliest known form of Poker dates from the 17th century. The game spread to the United States in the early 19th century, likely via riverboats and French influence in New Orleans, then through the Mississippi to other parts of the country.
In some variants, a player must place an initial amount of money into the pot before his first bet, or bring-in. These forced bets, called antes, blinds or bring-ins, differ from the normal betting intervals in that they continue until a player either folds or makes a showdown.
Many of the most exciting and dramatic moments in poker are derived from players’ reactions to the cards that they receive. In addition to the usual bets and checks that accompany a hand, there are also opportunities for bluffing. A player’s decision to bluff can be based on a combination of factors, including probability calculations, psychology and game theory.