Poker is a card game where players try to get the best hand possible from a set of cards. It is a game of chance but also involves skill and psychology.

The Rules

Poker can be played by single players or in groups of up to several players. In both cases, the players start by placing a small amount of money into the pot before the cards are dealt (called a forced bet).

Once the initial deal is complete, the first of what may be several betting rounds begins. After each round, all bets are gathered into the central pot.

The Cards

Standard 52-card decks are used. There are four suits: spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs. In some games, jokers are added to the deck and can be used as wild cards.

The Card Rankings

The cards in the deck are ranked from high to low, with Ace being the highest. The highest hand wins.

If two or more hands have the same card rank, the next higher hand breaks the tie.

One Pair

A pair is a two-card hand made up of one card from the player’s own deck and one card from the deck of the other player. It can be made from any combination of the player’s own cards and the other player’s cards, excluding their hole cards.

Two pairs are often called a “straight”. A straight is a five-card hand that can be made from any suit and any sequence of cards.

Straights break ties if no one has a straight. If a hand has the same type of straight, such as two pairs or a flush, the other player’s highest card breaks the tie.

Four of a Kind

If there are two or more hands that have four cards of the same rank, then one hand wins.

Three of a Kind

A three-card hand with the same rank as a pair or straight wins.

Another type of three-card hand is a straight flush, which can be made with any combination of the player’s own cards as well as the other player’s cards.

This is the most common type of hand in Poker.

In many games, a player can check their hand if they do not wish to bet any further. If the other players call their check, they have to raise the pot or fold.

If no one calls the check, then the hand is called “in play” and the cards are placed face-up on the table. The dealer then deals three cards to all players who are still in the hand and a fourth card to all players who have not folded yet.

The Dealer

Once all of the betting rounds have been completed, a final round is held called the Showdown. The winner is the player who has the highest hand out of the last seven cards, which are the player’s own two cards plus five cards from the board.