The game of poker has many different forms, but almost all share the same basic underlying skill required to minimize losses with poor hands and maximize winnings with good ones. A few of the most common games are stud, draw and hold’em. Each player places an initial contribution into the pot before cards are dealt, called the ante. In some games a player may choose to place two cards face down into their hand, which are then visible to the other players. These are known as the hole cards.
During betting intervals, a player can call (match the amount of the highest bet by an opponent) or raise (amount the higher of two bets placed). A player who checks waives their right to make a bet until it is their turn to act again. This practice is known as sandbagging, although it may be illegal in some jurisdictions.
Some games have a special fund, called the kitty, that is used to pay for things such as new decks of cards and food and drinks. The players may agree to cut a single low-denomination chip from each pot in which there are more than one raise and put it into the kitty. When the game ends, any chips left in the kitty are divided amongst all players who were still in the game. Some venues use the same color of chips for both cash games and tournaments, while others differentiate between the two by using separate colors.