Poker is a card game played between players and in which the objective is to make the best five-card hand possible. While the result of any particular hand largely involves chance, poker can be strategically played for a variety of reasons, including bluffing and betting for expected value. It is a popular card game that has a history stretching back centuries, and many variations have been developed.
Once the cards are dealt, betting begins with the player to the left of the dealer. Each player must either call or raise the bet made before him. Players may also choose to fold their hand – sliding the cards into the dealer face-down and not participating further in that hand. The dealer then reveals all of the cards to the other players and a showdown takes place, with the winner being the player with the highest hand.
The highest hand is a royal flush, consisting of the ace, king, queen, jack, and ten of one suit. This is followed by a straight, four of a kind, three of a kind, and two pair. If a player has an unmatched card, he must discard it and draw replacements from the bottom of the drawing stack.
To stay in the pot, a player must match or exceed the total stakes of all players who have called it so far. Otherwise, he must fold and forfeit any chips that have been invested in his hand.
