Poker is a card game that involves betting between players and the dealer. Each player places a wager, called an ante, before being dealt cards. Then he decides whether to play his hand or fold it. If he plays, then he must place a bet equal to the amount placed by the player before him in the pot.
There are different rules for each type of game. In cash games, there is usually a small group of players around a table and they bet continuously until one player has all the chips or everyone folds.
A good poker strategy includes determining the strength of your opponents’ hands and using this information to bet strategically. A good bluff can also improve your chances of winning.
In poker, a royal flush is a hand consisting of an Ace, King, Queen and Jack of the same suit in sequence. It is the highest possible hand. Other high hands include four of a kind (two matching cards of the same rank, plus two unmatched cards), flush (5 consecutive cards of the same suit), and straight (five cards in succession, but not of the same suit). A high card breaks ties.
The game has a long history and was first recorded in 1694. It soon spread to Europe, where it was modified to use the full 52-card English deck. Later, American developments led to draw poker, stud poker and the five-card variant known as community card poker.