Poker is a card game in which players compete for an amount of money or chips contributed by each player (the pot). While the outcome of any particular hand may involve significant elements of chance, players choose their actions based on risk-vs-reward and other considerations. A successful player will generally attempt to predict the chances of making their opponents fold with a strong holding, or induce other players to call with weaker hands, by betting a higher amount than would be expected from the odds of a winning hand.

A common saying is “You don’t play the hand, you play your opponent.” While this cliche has some truth to it, there are many factors at play when playing poker that can influence strategy. One important factor is the ability to make decisions under conditions of incomplete information, which are often influenced by mental training techniques commonly used by athletes.

In the game of poker, each player receives two cards that are dealt face down. A round of betting takes place after this, and the player with the best five-card hand wins. A standard 52-card deck, sometimes with one or two jokers, is used. Traditionally, the game was played with one pack, but in order to speed up play, two packs of cards are used and shuffled between deals. The first player to act after receiving their two cards places a mandatory bet into the pot called the blinds, which are placed by players to the left of the dealer.