Official poker is a card game played between two or more players and involves using the player’s own two cards (known as hole cards) combined with the community cards to form a poker hand. The game is popular both in land-based casinos and online poker sites and can be found at many different betting limits.

Betting rounds in poker are typically clockwise and players have the option to fold, call (match the amount of the highest bet before them), or raise. Depending on the game, players may also choose to play the board instead of their own cards. In addition, the rules of poker often differ between cash games and tournaments.

Players must be mindful of their actions and words at the table, as it is considered inappropriate to give away information about the strength of their hand. For example, players should never react to the flop or talk to the table after folding their hand. This can reveal crucial information about the player’s holding to their opponents and is a violation of the game’s official rules.

Similarly, players should be careful when speaking to other players at the table or chatting with outsiders about the game. This can be construed as breaking the rules of poker and can result in being removed from the tournament. This can be especially detrimental to players who are in the final stages of a tournament when they have accumulated large amounts of chips.