Poker is a card game that pits individuals against each other for an amount of money or chips contributed by each player. It is usually played with a conventional 52-card pack, though some variants utilize alternative deck sizes. The objective of the game is to win wagers by making a winning hand or convincing other players to fold. A successful poker hand contains at least two cards of a specific rank, such as the ace. Many games also incorporate wild cards, which can take on any suit or rank.

The game has a long history, beginning in the sixteenth century as a German bluffing game known as Pochen or Pochspiel. It evolved into a French game called Poque and was brought to the United States aboard riverboats on the Mississippi.

There are several rules governing the game, both written and unwritten, that all players should be familiar with before joining a poker table. For example, angle shooting is generally frowned upon, since it is an attempt to gain an advantage at the poker table through deception. String betting, which involves placing multiple bets in a row without revealing your cards, can be considered angle shooting, and it is against the rules at most casinos and poker rooms.

The rules of poker are managed by the Professional Tournament Directors Association (PTDA). The 81 rules that are in place prevent the majority of disputes encountered by poker tournament participants. The PTDA’s members are managers of major live and online poker rooms, circuits or poker leagues around the world.