Poker is a card game played between two or more players and involves betting on the strength of one’s hand. There are many different variants of the game, but they all share some common elements.
Generally, before the cards are dealt each player must put in a amount of money (represented by chips) into the pot prior to the dealing of the first hand. This is called the ante.
After the ante is placed a dealer shuffles the deck and deals the cards one by one to the players beginning with the player to his or her left. This player may cut the deck once, and then the turn to deal passes clockwise to the next player.
During the course of each betting round one or more of the active players must place a bet into the pot (depending on the specific rules of the variant). If a player opens the action by placing a bet and no other players call it, then they are said to have “made it”.
When a player calls a bet, they do so by placing a chip into the pot representing the same value as the raised bet. This is done by announcing that they are calling the bet. It is possible for a player to make multiple raises in a single betting round, and it is also possible for a player to pass if they wish. However, if a player raises their bet more than once, they must pay for the entire amount of the original bet.