Poker is a game of chance, but it also has a great deal of psychology and skill to it. Having a good understanding of the rules is essential to playing poker well. If you want to learn more, read a book or play with a group of people who know the rules.

There is an organization that manages the rules of official poker. It is the Tournament Directors Association (Poker TDA). The purpose of the TDA is to standardize the rules of poker around the world. They meet every two years to review the rules and put in place new ones. WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effel is on the board of directors for this organization.

The TDA has many different forms of poker rules, but all of them use chips to represent different denominations. This allows for consistency between games and makes the rules easier to follow for players in different venues. Typically, the chips are colored white, red, green, blue, black, and purple (or lavender). These colors distinguish between cash games and tournaments.

Verbally declaring a bet, raise, or call is binding. This is because the player must make the move they have declared to take. If a player cannot or will not take the action they have announced, they must fold. The TDA rules also state that the dealer must not muck a hand that is declared all-in. However, this is not always followed in the real world, and some dealers may miscount hands when dealing.