The Basics of Poker

Poker is a card game where players compete to make the best hand using two cards each. It is a popular casino game and is also a great way to spend time with friends and family.

The game begins with a dealer shuffles the cards and deals them to each player one at a time. The dealer keeps the players’ cards secret. Then the betting rounds begin.

Each player is dealt two face down cards and one face up. These are called the hole cards. In the first round of betting, a player can fold (not play the round), call (match their bet) or raise (add more money to the pot).

Betting rounds are broken up by a showdown, when the hole cards are shown. The winning hand is the one that has the highest ranking poker combination in its face up cards.

The highest ranking poker hands are: High card, Pair of cards, Two pairs, Three of a kind, Straight, Flush and Four of a kind.

These are the basic ways to win in poker, but there are many other variations that can be played. In each variant, the rules vary slightly.

General rule: Ties are broken by the higher of two or more distinct hands, following the High Card rules.

Ties can also be broken by the highest unmatched card, as in a full house or five of a kind. This type of break is most common in stud poker, where hands can have three or more wild cards.