Poker is a card game in which players try to make the best possible hand using any combination of cards. It is played in private homes, casinos, and over the Internet.

Poker has a lot of different variants, but they all share some common features and rules. Typically, each player begins with a small amount of money, called the ante, and then is dealt two cards to keep secret from other players.

Then, players can decide to bet, raise, call, or fold whenever a betting round is underway. In the final betting interval, a “showdown” occurs, when all remaining players reveal their hands and the winner is determined.

In standard poker, the value of a poker hand is inversely proportional to its frequency (probability). A pair beats any single card and a straight flush wins against any other hand.

If two hands have identical high pairs, they are tied and the pot is divided between the winners. If two hands have identical threes of a kind, they are also tied and the pot is divided between the winners.

The rules for poker vary between cash games and tournaments. In a tournament, each player has a fixed buy-in and continues to play until the last man or woman is eliminated from the competition. The winning players receive a prize.