Poker is a card game in which players place chips (representing money) into the pot and compete to make the best five-card hand. It can be played by any number of people and has a wide range of variants. Poker is a game of skill and strategy, but the outcome of any particular hand heavily depends on chance. Players choose their actions based on probability, psychology, and game theory.

Players must make at least a minimum bet (called “calling”) on each deal, depending on the rules of the game. They may also raise their bets for strategic reasons, attempting to force weak hands out of the pot. This is called bluffing in poker.

If another player raises on your hand, you must call their bet or fold. If they don’t, you can raise again. However, you can only raise once per deal.

When it comes to tournament play, understanding how to adjust your strategy to match your stack size should be your number one guide. Getting this right will enable you to defend your big blind and make profitable calls even when the math doesn’t look intuitive. If you’re short, you can play tighter to pick up as many chips without a showdown as possible, while if you’re deep, you should steal blinds aggressively to take advantage of the short stacks around you. The more you practice, the faster your instincts will develop. Practice by watching experienced players to understand how they react in certain situations.