The Basics of Poker

Poker

Basically, poker is a game of betting. Players place bets into a pot of chips and the best hand wins the pot. Poker is played with a standard deck of 52 cards. Each player is dealt seven cards. Some variant games include jokers.

After the cards are dealt, players will reveal their hands. The dealer will then shuffle the deck. Cards are ranked from Ace to Ace low. The highest possible hand is “trip sevens.” A hand of three of a kind, two of a kind, or one pair is a good hand.

The player who places the first bet is the “active player.” He is also the player who has the obligation to make the next bet. He may raise or check. When a player raises, he is deemed to have made a “call.” When a player checks, he is deemed to have declined to make a bet.

Each player must place the number of chips equal to the amount contributed by the player before him into the pot. This is called the “ante.” An ante is generally $1 or $5.

Players may also choose to raise or fold. A raise is a larger bet than the previous bet. A fold is when a player discards his hand and loses the bet. If a player folds, he may no longer be competitive with other players for the pot.

If two players have the same card, the high card breaks ties. If multiple players tie for the highest card, the high card wins.