Whether played socially in living rooms, at casino tables around the world or even professionally for thousands of dollars, official poker is an incredible test of a player’s skill and a window into human nature. With an element of luck that can bolster or tank even the most skilled player, the game is as much of a gamble as any other and requires a great deal of thought and strategy.

Most forms of poker are played with a set of colored chips. One white chip is the unit, or lowest-value chip, and is worth whatever the minimum ante or bet is; a red chip is worth five whites; and blue chips are usually worth 10 or 20 whites, depending on the denomination of the chips.

Players may not hide their cards in any way, and the highest denomination chip should always be visible to other players. When playing in a home game, players may also establish a special fund known as a “kitty.” When the game ends, all of the chips in the kitty are divided equally amongst those still in play. The kitty is generally used to pay for new decks of cards and sometimes food and drinks.

A good poker game starts with the right mindset and a solid understanding of basic poker hand rankings and betting rounds. It also helps to have a basic grasp of poker strategy, especially when it comes to raising bets. Many players make bad decisions when their emotions are running high – and they can quickly lose their entire stack. This is known as poker tilt.