Poker is a card game in which people compete against one another for an amount of money or chips contributed by all the players, called the pot. It is a game that requires both luck and skill, and it can be played socially for pennies or professionally for thousands of dollars. It is a very popular game in many parts of the world, and it can be found in a wide variety of locations, from homes to prestigious casinos and even on televised poker tournaments.
As poker has grown into a truly international game, there has been growing interest in building a set of rules that will be enforceable in all jurisdictions. The International Federation of Poker (FIDPA) has taken up this challenge, and its 81 rules, freely available on the FIDPA website, should prevent the vast majority of disputes that inevitably arise in casino poker rooms or at tournament tables.
In the United States, online poker is legal if it is conducted in compliance with the Nevada Gaming Control Board’s regulations. The state is one of four that comprise the only interstate compact in the country, sharing a player pool with Delaware, New Jersey and Michigan.
Most poker games are played with poker chips, which are usually colored and have varying values: A white chip is worth the minimum ante or bet; a red chip is worth either two or five whites; and a blue chip is worth either 20 or 25 whites. At the beginning of a poker game, each player buys in with a certain number of chips.