Poker is a card game where players bet on their hand. There are many variations to the game but most of them share some similarities. One is that it’s almost always played with chips. The most common are white chips, each worth a certain amount of money (usually the minimum ante or bet). Players usually buy in with this money and then are dealt two cards that they keep hidden from the rest of the table. These are called hole cards. During the first betting round the players try to make the best five card poker hand they can with their own cards and the five community cards on the table.
The highest poker hand is a Royal Flush which has four cards of the same rank (either all clubs, all diamonds or all hearts). A straight flush also ranks highly (A-K-Q-J-T) but it must not be ‘wraparound’ (like K-A-2-3-4). A pair of kings or queens can also be a good hand but not if they are facing an ace on the board.
Once the initial betting round is complete the dealer puts three community cards face up on the table – these are called the flop. Another betting round takes place and the players decide whether to call, raise or fold. In the final round of betting, the fifth community card is revealed – this is known as the river. The player with the best five card poker hand wins the pot and all bets made during the game.