Poker is a card game with many variants, but the basic rules are similar across them. The game is played by 2 or more players who put an initial amount of money into the pot, called forced bets (antes, blinds or bring-ins), in order to have a chance to win the hand.
Players place additional bets as they see fit, with the object being to make a winning hand by combining their own cards with those of other players at the table. If a player has the best combination, he or she wins a pot consisting of all bets made at each round of betting (the preflop, flop and river).
While poker involves risk, it can also be very profitable. Professional players often achieve their goals through a careful balance of risk and reward, including avoiding unnecessary risks that could cost them big if they lose. They are experts at extracting signal from noise across a variety of channels, including visual cues and behavioral dossiers on opponents.
A bet in poker is a decision about an unknown future, and reflects life itself. The resources invested are not fully known until the hand is complete, and even then information is hidden from other players. This can create a situation where a player can bluff, but their opponent may detect signals of weakness or have an understanding of how to read these bluffs through the subtle tells in play at the table.