Poker is a card game in which players place bets on the likelihood that they have a winning hand. The game has its roots in a number of other card games such as Primero (16th century, Spanish), Flux and Post (French, 17th – 18th centuries) and Brag (18th – 19th centuries).

The game is typically played with chips that represent different values. Each player purchases a supply of these chips and, at the start of each betting round, places their chips into the pot in front of them. The player to their left then has the choice of calling that bet or raising it. A player can also choose to pass their turn by “checking” instead of placing chips into the pot.

An important part of the game is the ability to read other players and pick up on their tells. These are unconscious habits that reveal information about a player’s hand. They can include anything from a change in posture to a facial expression or gesture. A high level of skill in reading others’ tells can be an enormous advantage at the table.

The game can be played in tournaments of varying size. The smallest tend to be locals, or weeklies, and are often held in bars, card shops and community centers. They are the stepping stones for many new players looking to enter the competitive scene and hone their skills. Larger tournaments are often organized by card companies, casinos and professional poker tours.