Poker is a card game in which players place chips (representing money) into a central pot during one or more betting rounds. The number of bets each player makes depends on a combination of chance, psychology, and game theory. The game may involve forced bets, known as “blind” bets, made by the players to the left of the dealer, as well as a variety of other strategic actions chosen by the players on the basis of expected value and risk/reward.
Each player begins with two cards dealt face down. A round of betting then commences, starting with the player to the left of the dealer. The dealer then shuffles the cards and offers them to the player on their right for a cut, if they choose to do so.
After the cut, the dealer deals the remaining cards to each player in turn, beginning with the player on their left. The cards may be dealt face up or face down, depending on the rules of the variant being played.
A high hand wins the pot. The highest ranking hand is a royal flush, which contains an Ace, King, Queen, and Jack of the same suit. Other high hands include a straight, four of a kind, and three of a kind. A pair is two matching cards, while a higher pair has three distinct pairs and a fifth card which breaks ties. The highest card also wins ties if nobody has any of the above hands.
