Poker is a game of chance that is played with cards and chips. Players place bets and raises to try to win the pot.

The rules of poker vary a lot among different types of poker, but there are several basics that apply to most versions. The rules of a game are usually governed by the dealer, who is responsible for shuffling the deck and dealing the cards to each player.

Each betting interval, or round, begins when the dealer deals one card facedown to each player. The first player to act is the small blind (the person to the left of the dealer), who folds, calls, or raises his bet; if no other player acts, the big blind acts next.

After a betting round, the dealer “burns” another card from the top of the deck. This round is not counted in the final score of the game, but the dealer must burn a card at the end of each betting interval or round.

The dealer is also responsible for establishing a kitty, which is a special fund that each player can use to add to his or her bets. Any chips that remain in the kitty when the game ends are divided among the remaining players who were still in the hand.

The best hands in poker are the royal flush and the straight flush, both of which have five consecutive cards from the same suit. These hands are much better than two aces, but three of a kind can beat them.