Poker is the most popular card game in the world, played by millions of people in private games, clubs, casinos, and over the Internet. Although many variations of the game exist, they all share certain characteristics. A poker hand comprises five cards, and its value is in inverse proportion to its mathematical frequency, which means that more common hands rank higher than rarer ones. Players may call (match) a bet, raise it, or concede. Players may also bluff, by betting that they have the best hand when they do not. A player who makes a bluff with weak hands can win if other players call his bet.

In limit and pot-limit poker, a player may only raise by the amount of chips in the pot at the time of his raise. A player who raises by more than this amount is said to have re-raised.

A dealer’s mistake, such as exposing a card to one or more players, must be corrected on an individual basis by the rules of the specific poker variation. However, an exposed card remains a live hand and must still be played.

A fee charged in a poker game, taken from the pot or each player’s chips. The rake is often used to cover the cost of dealing and other expenses. A poker room’s rake policy must be clearly stated to players. In a tournament, the rake is typically part of the entry fee for a particular table.