Poker is an increasingly popular spectator sport. Its growth is partly due to online poker, and partly due to the popularity of hole-card cameras, which make poker an entertaining spectator sport. Broadcasts of poker tournaments bring in huge audiences for cable and satellite television providers. Today, there are hundreds of different variations of the game.

The goal of the game is to make the best possible five-card hand. The most popular version of the game is Texas Hold’em. In this game, players can use the community cards. A poker hand that contains the Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and 10 is called an Ace High straight flush. However, in some games, an ace is not treated as the lowest card.

In many poker variations, each player must put in a certain amount of money before each round of betting. This ante bet is placed before each round, which prevents the game from running too long. It also keeps each player somewhat invested in each round. When a player makes a winning hand, he/she is said to be an active player.

Poker can be played with any number of players, though six to eight players are ideal. There are also variations where the dealer is not a player.