In this game, the players have to make forced bets, known as ante or blind bets. Once everyone has made their bets, the dealer shuffles or cuts the cards. The cards are then dealt to each player one by one. They may be dealt face-up or face-down, depending on the type of poker. The highest-ranking poker hand wins the pot. In this game, a player may have a winning hand after several hands.

The rules of poker can vary. Some variations have different numbers of cards in the deck, so different rules may apply in different regions. The earliest known form of poker used 20 cards, but today, most games use a standard deck. In countries with short packs, the number of cards is often 32 or 40. While the number of players and decks vary, all games are based on one or more betting rounds. In addition, players may have to contribute an ante before they can begin playing.

The first known form of poker was played with 20 cards. However, nowadays, the game is played with a standard deck of 52 cards. In other countries, the deck may be smaller or bigger. In all cases, the number of cards in play is the same. The only difference is that the number of players is the same. While the number of players in a game is the same, the decks used to play poker may vary. There are many variations of the basic game.