The Basics of Poker

Poker is a card game in which players make wagers of money or chips. The winner of each round is the player with the highest ranked hand. A high hand can consist of a pair, three of a kind, straight, or flush. The lowest possible hand is seven-five-four-three in two or more suits (although an ace may be treated as a low card, making a hand of 6-4-3-2 the lowest).

In most games the dealer shuffles, then deals each active player two cards face down. He then reveals five community cards on the table. Each player then makes a hand using both their own two personal cards and the five community cards. A betting interval then takes place. Each player has the option of raising, calling, or checking his bet.

If a player wishes to stay in the pot, he must match or raise the bet made by the player to his right. If he doesn’t wish to remain in the hand, he must fold.

The player with the best five-card hand wins. If there is a tie, the value of the highest card determines who wins. If there is no highest card, the highest number of matching cards wins. High pairs, two of a kinds, or one pair with three distinct cards win ties as well. The highest high card breaks ties as well. The higher the pair, the better the hand. If no hands qualify for a winner, the player who raised first wins the pot/all bets.