Poker is a card game played between two or more players and involving betting. It is typically played using a 52-card English deck, with one or more jokers (wild cards). Players decide beforehand whether to make use of the wild cards. Two to seven players may play, although the best games are often played by five or six.
Before the deal begins each player places in the pot a number of chips representing money, and then one or more forced bets are made. In turn, each player may call the bets and raise them as they see fit. Players can also pass when it is their turn, or they may choose to check, indicating that they don’t wish to place any bets.
After the first betting interval, each player is dealt two cards face down and one card face up. The dealer then shuffles the cards and offers them to the player on his right for a cut.
Once the cards have been reshuffled, an additional round of betting takes place. In the end, the players reveal their hands and the winning player claims the pot.
A winning hand is usually made up of a pair of distinct cards of the same rank, three of a kind or higher, straight or flush. In the event of a tie, high card breaks it.