Poker is a card game with a variety of variants played by two or more players. The object of the game is to win a pot consisting of the sum of all bets in a single deal. Normally, each player buys in for a minimum number of chips representing money. The first player to act places in the pot a number of chips equal to or greater than the amount bet by the previous player.
When the player has a good hand he may raise (put in more chips than his opponent) or call. The other players must then decide whether to continue betting. If someone calls, the player must raise again or fold his cards into the dealer.
In a game of Poker, the best hand is a straight or a flush. A straight consists of 5 consecutive cards of the same suit. A flush consists of 3 matching cards of one rank and 2 matching cards of another rank. A pair consists of two cards of one rank and two unmatched cards.
The game is typically played with a standard deck of 52 cards. Some games will add jokers or other wild cards, and many variants use different numbers of cards. The best way to learn the game is by reading a few quality strategy guides and talking about hands with winning players in your local area. This will give you the insight into the strategies that are used by players at the level you want to play at.