The Basics of Poker

Poker is a card game of strategy and chance that can be played by two or more players. It is one of the few games in which a player can win multiple times in a single round. It is also a game that can be played with any number of cards, though the ideal is seven. The object is to make the highest-ranking poker hand, called a pot, from the cards you are dealt. If more than one player has a high poker hand, the highest card breaks ties (high pair beats two pairs, three of a kind beats four of a kind, and so on).

Poker is played from a standard pack of 52 cards. Some variants use more than a standard pack, and some include wild cards or other special cards. Cards are ranked from high to low: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2. There are four suits: spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs, but only the suit of the highest card determines which rank is higher (Ace of clubs beats eight of spades).

After each player puts in a mandatory bet, called blinds, into the pot, they are each dealt 2 cards face-down, hidden from other players (these cards are often called hole or pocket cards). A betting phase then begins, beginning with the player to the left of the big blind. Once all players have revealed their hands, a new betting phase begins based on the best 5-card poker hand.