Poker is a family of card games in which players compete for the highest-ranked hand. In the earliest known form, players compared their hands and betted on which was the best. Most games use a standard deck, but shorter packs are popular in some countries. The deck configuration, number of playing cards, and number of cards shared by all players vary from game to game, but all games feature one or more rounds of betting. In addition, the game rules typically stipulate the number of players and betting rounds.

As of the beginning of the game, it’s unclear when poker was first invented. It was most likely an adaptation of the French game poque in the 17th century, which is where the word poker came from. This version eventually became the German word pochen, which was later developed into the English word poker. The game was brought to North America by French settlers. As its popularity grew, the game evolved from the original version to the modern game we know today.

A hand is considered “folded” if all but one player folds their hand. If more than one player remains in the game after the final betting round, there is a showdown. When all players have revealed their hands, the player with the best hand wins the pot. When all players have a winning hand, the game is known as a game of poker. When playing against a live opponent, it’s important to know how to behave while playing against the other players.