Poker is a card game in which you place a bet into a pot. The player with the best hand wins the pot. If more than one player has the same hand, the showdown is held to determine the winner.

Poker games are played with a standard 52-card pack. The dealer may deal cards face down, and shuffles the cards after they are dealt.

Players can discard up to three cards. A pair is formed when two cards of the same rank and one other are of the same suit. Straights are made when five cards are used. Ties are broken when a high card breaks the tie.

Each player is given a turn to bet. The round of betting is finished when everyone has checked. During each betting interval, the player making the first bet is said to bet, the player who raises the bet is called a raiser, and the player who declines to bet is referred to as a fold.

After each round of betting, the remaining players take turns to check. When no player checks, the player with the best hand wins the pot.

Some games allow players to replace cards that were dealt before the round of betting. Others require a certain amount of ante before the cards are dealt.

Some poker variants do not consider flushes. In most poker games, the highest hand is the winner of the pot, but in some, it is the lowest hand.