Poker is a card game involving betting and chance. Players begin by putting down an ante (usually a certain amount of money) and then bet into the center pot. The player with the best hand wins the pot. Betting proceeds clockwise and players have three options to decide on their initial bet: call, raise, or fold.

In a hand with two players, the odd chip is awarded to the player with the highest hand. In the event that two players tie, the pot is split as evenly as possible. If a player has the highest hand, the odd chip is awarded to the player with the highest card by suit. This applies to all cards.

Poker is usually played with five cards. Five-card hands (four of a kind, three of a kind, or five of a kind) are the best combination. However, if more than one player has five of a kind hand, the higher card wins. A straight flush is a hand that has five cards of the same suit.

Poker games use a standard deck of 52 cards, with some variants adding jokers. The cards are ranked from Ace high to Ace low. Players must show their cards after each round of betting.