Poker is a card game played by two or more people around a table. Players bet into a pot in the middle of the table, and the player with the highest-ranking hand wins. There are many forms of poker, and games can have any number of players from 2 to 14; however, the ideal number is 6.
Depending on the rules of the game, one or more players must place an initial amount into the pot before cards are dealt. This is called a forced bet and can come in the form of an ante, blind bet, or bring-in.
The dealer shuffles the cards, then deals each player two cards face-down, starting with the player on the left of the button (the term for the person in that position). There may be several betting intervals in a poker deal, and during each one players can choose to call the raises of others or fold.
Once the betting is done, the dealer reveals three more cards on the table, known as the “flop.” At this point, the players can make their best five-card poker hand using the two cards in their hands and the five community cards on the board.
The most common poker hands are straights, flushes, and three of a kind. If any of these are tied, the highest-ranking card breaks the tie. Ties that cannot be broken in this way, such as four of a kind, are settled according to the rules of High Card.