The Basics of Poker
Poker is a game of chance played with a standard deck of cards. The aim is to win by betting until you have the highest ranked hand of cards. Players can fold, accept a bet, raise or split the pot.
The game can be played with any number of players. The ideal number is six to eight.
The game begins with the dealer shuffles the deck and then deals cards to each player one at a time. The first card to be dealt is the jack. If there is a tie, the highest card breaks the tie. If there is a draw, the pot is divided among all players.
The first betting round starts when all but one player have folded. The remaining players are then allowed to discard their hand, but may not raise. The remaining player will collect the pot.
The next betting round begins when the player who has the highest hand of cards wins the pot. The winning player can take the pot, or fold. The next player can bet to increase the amount in the pot.
A forced bet is when a player has to make a bet before all other players can. This bet may be a blind or ante. The player who makes the bet is known as the active player.
In poker, the highest possible hand is seven, five, four, three, two and an ace. In some games, the ace is treated as the lowest card.