Poker is a game of chance where players bet into a pot of money. The objective is to create the best hand possible. Depending on the poker game, the pot may be awarded to the highest ranking hand, or it may be split between the lowest and highest hands.
A standard 52-card deck is used in most games. Typically, one of the players will be the dealer. In some games, the dealer can also act as a bluffing player, in which he places cards into the pot and tries to convince others that he has the highest hand.
The cards are dealt to the players in rotation, and each player is given a card face up. Each of the five cards is ranked from Ace to ace, with the ace being the highest.
After each round of dealing, a betting interval is held. Players can choose to match, raise, or fold. If the dealer does not call the first bet, then he has the right to show his hand, and the next player must match or fold.
Once the first betting interval is over, another round of dealing is done. Cards are then distributed to the remaining players. This is known as the showdown.
At this point, the highest card that breaks ties wins. Two people can tie for the high hand if they have identical cards, or if the high card is the ace.
Typically, the ante is small. It is often only $1 or $5.