In the game of Poker, the players place their bets in intervals known as betting rounds. Each player must put in an equal amount of chips into the pot, called “bets”. Once the betting round is over, the hand is “showdown,” meaning the winner is determined by the number of players with higher hands.
Poker can be played with as many as six or eight players, although six is usually the ideal number. The player with the highest poker hand (also called the pot) wins the pot. Another way to win is to bluff by betting on the hand without knowing the actual value of it. By betting on the hand, the player is able to make a bet that no other player calls.
Each player has one or more cards face up. During each betting interval, the dealer deals one card face up to each active player. Each round, the dealer deals a new card. After the fourth and final betting interval, the hole cards are revealed. In each betting interval, the first bettor is the player with the best poker combination. They must bet at least the minimum in the first betting interval. Later betting intervals, the first player may check and make a lower bet.
A hand can have a total of nine cards. When this happens, the dealer will deal the remaining players their cards. Players who have fewer than ten cards are called “nits,” or “river rats.” A river rat is the type of player who has a low hand.