Poker is a game played between two or more players. It involves betting and constructing a poker hand based on the cards dealt and the community cards (known as the board). The player with the highest five-card poker hand wins. Each player begins with two cards, called hole cards. The dealer places forced bets of a fixed amount, the small blind and the big blind. Each player can then choose to fold, call the bet of a player before them or raise it.

Several different poker games are played in casinos, with Texas hold’em being the most popular. In addition to the main event of the World Series of Poker, most casino poker tournaments use this form of poker. This is because it allows players to play for a larger prize pool than other forms of the game.

The rules of poker are regulated by an organization called the Professional Tournament Directors Association, or Poker TDA. This group helps to standardize poker rules and promotes the best practices of the game. The organization is composed of more than 2,500 members who are managers of live or online poker rooms, circuits, poker leagues or independent tournaments.

It is against the rules to act out of turn in a poker game. This is because doing so can lead to a cheating situation. In fact, the person acting out of turn can be kicked out of a tournament or even ejected from the casino for this type of behavior.