In poker, calling means making a bet equal to the last bet or raise. For example, if the person on your right just bet $10, and you are the only player in the game, you would call that person by placing 10 chips in the pot. The other player in the same hand would also call. Once the hand is decided, the next step in the game is the showdown. This is where the winner is announced and a new round of betting begins.
In most variations of the game, players place an ante and blind bets before they are dealt their cards. Players can use any number of cards, but most games use 52 cards. The rank of the cards is from Ace high to Ace low. The goal of the game is to win as many chips as possible by reading the opponents and predicting the odds correctly. This requires a calm demeanor when bluffing and reading the odds.
Before the modern version of poker emerged, the game had seedy roots. It is thought that card hustlers called the game “poke” to confuse their opponents, or it was a term for pickpockets who cheated their unsuspecting opponents. In any case, poker has become a popular game worldwide and continues to grow. In the United States, there are about 60 million poker players and is a popular activity online and off.