Before you start playing poker, you should understand some basic principles. The game is based on luck, but with the addition of betting and psychology, it becomes a much more sophisticated game. While this primer is aimed at giving you the basics of the game, you can find more information on the rules and strategies of the game by reading books or playing with a group of friends.

The best hand is a straight flush, which is made up of five cards of the same suit, including the ace. The ace can be either high or low, but it cannot wrap around a pair of kings, queens, or aces. Hence, the ace high straight flush is also known as the Royal Flush.

In a poker game, each player is dealt one pack of cards. This pack contains 52 cards, including jokers. Some games use two packs of contrasting colors, so the players can play faster. During the initial stages of the game, a dealer deals a hand from one pack, while another is shuffled. As soon as the dealer has finished dealing with the first pack, he or she places it to the left of the dealer. The dealer passes the shuffled deck to the next player.

When a player is all-in, he or she must have a hole card. This hole card must be kept. All other players receive normal cards. In a game of blackjack, the dealer will usually shuffle the deck, but the players can choose to cut their cards. The dealer will also announce if a high or low hand is present. The dealer will also announce any raises or pairs. However, straights, flushes, or nut hands are not revealed by the dealer.