"Poker player" redirects here. For the magazine, see Poker Player

A game of Texas hold 'em in progress. "Hold 'em" is 4️⃣ a popular form of poker.

Poker is a family of comparing card games in which players wager over which hand is 4️⃣ best according to that specific game's rules. It is played worldwide, but in some places the rules may vary. While 4️⃣ the earliest known form of the game was played with just 20 cards, today it is usually played with a 4️⃣ standard deck, although in countries where short packs are common, it may be played with 32, 40 or 48 cards.[1] 4️⃣ Thus poker games vary in deck configuration, the number of cards in play, the number dealt face up or face 4️⃣ down, and the number shared by all players, but all have rules that involve one or more rounds of betting.

In 4️⃣ most modern poker games, the first round of betting begins with one or more of the players making some form 4️⃣ of a forced bet (the blind or ante). In standard poker, each player bets according to the rank they believe 4️⃣ their hand is worth as compared to the other players. The action then proceeds clockwise as each player in turn 4️⃣ must either match (or "call") the maximum previous bet, or fold, losing the amount bet so far and all further 4️⃣ involvement in the hand. A player who matches a bet may also "raise" (increase) the bet. The betting round ends 4️⃣ when all players have either called the last bet or folded. If all but one player folds on any round, 4️⃣ the remaining player collects the pot without being required to reveal their hand. If more than one player remains in 4️⃣ contention after the final betting round, a showdown takes place where the hands are revealed, and the player with the 4️⃣ winning hand takes the pot.

With the exception of initial forced bets, money is only placed into the pot voluntarily by 4️⃣ a player who either believes the bet has a positive expected value or who is trying to bluff other players 4️⃣ for various strategic reasons. Thus, while the outcome of any particular hand significantly involves chance, the long-run expectations of the 4️⃣ players are determined by their actions chosen on the basis of probability, psychology, and game theory.