Using a deck of 52 cards, poker players bet into a pot to determine who has the highest hand. The highest hand wins the pot.

The ante is the mandatory bet that every player must make. It is usually a small bet, generally between $1 and $5. It is usually the first bet of the round.

There are many different variations of poker, which share some of the same key features. In addition to the ante, there are other mandatory bets, such as the big blind. These add a little bit of excitement to the game.

The “showdown” is the final round of betting in which the highest ranking poker hand wins the pot. This is typically done in a clockwise fashion, although the exact pattern may vary according to the specific rules of the game.

If a hand is five of a kind, it is the highest of the five possible cards. If you can make five of a kind with one hand, you can make four of a kind with another hand, but you cannot make two of a kind with another hand.

If two players have three of a kind, they will split the pot. If three people make five of a kind, it is the high card that breaks ties.

If three players make a straight, the highest one wins. Similarly, if a player can make two straights with the same value, the split pot is the highest of the two straights.