Poker is a game of chance that is played with a standard deck of cards. It can be played with any number of players. A round of betting occurs after each new set of cards. The highest hand wins the pot. However, in some games the pot is split between the best hand and the lowest.
To start the game, the dealer deals cards to each player one at a time. The cards may be face down, face up, or shuffled. The deck of cards is then passed to the next dealer.
The dealer also cuts the cards. Each player is allowed to discard up to three cards.
After the first round of betting, the player with the lowest hand has the opportunity to raise. This is called the ante. Other players must match this bet. If they do not match, they are said to fold.
Another betting round occurs after the players have discarded their cards. The highest hand in each suit wins. Sometimes, a straight hand of five cards is used as the final showdown.
When a tie is reached, the highest card is used to break the tie. For example, if there are three people with kings, the high card breaks the tie.
Poker is a very popular game today. It is usually played with a group of six to eight people. It requires a large table, chairs, and chips.
Before the game starts, each player is assigned a value for his or her chips. Some poker variations allow for jokers or wild cards to be added.