Poker is a card game where the goal is to have the best five-card hand possible. This takes skill and strategy – so it’s not for everyone.

Basics

In a poker game, each player is dealt three cards and then takes turns betting on their hands. The winner is the player with the best hand at the end of the game.

Usually, a poker table has a designated dealer or “button” position, who shuffles the deck and deals out cards one by one to each player. The button passes clockwise around the table until all the players have a chance to bet or fold.

Before a deal, each player may make a contribution to the pot called an ante. The first player to ante a bet is said to “bet,” and the next bettor who meets or exceeds the previous bet is called to “call.”

Each betting interval (each round of betting) ends when each bet is equalized. In some variants, a player may “check,” which means to stay in without making a bet.

Each player must then reveal their own hidden cards and evaluate their hands before the final showdown, when the best hand wins the pot. The highest possible poker hand is a straight flush, but some variants allow other hands to win.