Poker is a game of chance in which each player must make a bet or raise that is based on the probability of winning and the expected value of his hand. The winning player is the one who makes the best decision that maximizes his long-run expectations.
The game is played by a number of players, usually between 6 and 14 depending on the variant being played. In most forms, the players compete against each other for a “pot” – a sum of money that is won by having the best poker hand.
How to play the game
A pack of cards is shuffled and dealt to each player, beginning with the dealer. The dealer then turns over the first card, which is called a jack.
After the jack is turned over, betting intervals begin according to the rules of the specific poker variant being played. Each betting interval is a separate deal, and the player who bets first in each interval may have the opportunity to call or raise by a certain amount.
The pot is the total of all bets made in the initial deal and any subsequent betting rounds. The pot may be won by the player with the highest-ranking poker hand or by the player who made a bet that no other player called.
The highest-ranking hand is the high card, followed by two of a kind (two cards that are the same rank), then two pairs, and then a flush or straight. If two hands are tied based on their highest-ranking card, the hands are split, with the player who bet on the tie receiving an equal amount of the pot as the other winner.