Poker is a card game in which players bet in a round and share the prize (the pot) if they have a winning hand. Several variants of poker exist, with the most popular being Texas hold ‘em. The game began to be televised in the late 1990s, and this increased its popularity and led to a poker boom a few years later.
During each betting round, players can choose to call, raise, or fold. A player who raises puts money into the pot that is at least as much as the last raiser. He may also choose to raise more than the previous player, depending on the rules of the specific game.
After each player has two hole cards, a third card is dealt face up on the table, which is called the flop. This starts another round of betting, initiated by mandatory bets called blinds placed by the 2 players to the left of the dealer.
Once the betting is complete, 5 community cards are revealed on the table. A player must use these cards and his two personal hole cards to make a poker hand of five. A winning hand contains 3 or more matching cards of one rank, 5 consecutive cards that are all from the same suit, or a pair of two identical cards. In a tie, the highest card wins.