Poker is a card game with a set of rules that governs the way cards are dealt and bets are made. The aim of the game is to make a good hand or get chips from your opponents. It can be played with any number of players, but a minimum of six or eight is recommended.
Each player gets five cards. These may be face down, in which case the dealer shuffles them, or face up.
A poker game usually uses a 52-card deck, in which each card is a different suit. Players can discard up to three cards.
Cards are dealt clockwise around the table. One player has the right to make the first bet. If another player calls, the first player must add to the pot by the same amount.
If no other player calls, the player with the best hand wins the pot. A winning hand is often a straight, but can also be a flush, a five-card hand, or a five-of-a-kind. Sometimes a showdown is held in which the highest-ranking hand wins.
In some games, a pair of aces is treated as the lowest-ranking card. This is because aces are considered the best possible hand, and aces can be used to form a straight.
The first round of betting is based on the number of chips each player has. During this period, each player can check, raise, or fold. After this round is complete, each player can see the cards.
