Poker is a card game in which players compete to form the highest ranking hand based on the rules of the game. Each player starts with two cards, and then combines them with the five community cards dealt to make their best 5-card hand. The highest-ranked hand wins the pot at the end of each betting interval.
The game may be played by any number of people, though it is usually most fun with six or more players. There are many different variations of poker, but all involve betting and analyzing the tells (unconscious habits that reveal information about the player’s hand).
To play poker, each player must ante up an amount of money, which is placed into the “pot.” When it is their turn to bet, they can choose to raise the previous bet or call it. Some players also opt to check, which means they won’t bet on their own hand.
The first player to the left of the button deals the cards. After each hand, the button passes clockwise to the next player. If no one is dealing, a player can cut the deck with a coin or other object. In addition to the standard 53-card pack, the joker is considered wild and counts as a fifth ace for a straight or certain other special hands. A high card breaks ties when there are multiple pairs. The order of the winning hands is: Royal flush, Straight flush, Flush, Four of a kind, Three of a kind, Two pair, and High card.