During the first round of betting, each player is dealt seven cards. These cards may be face down or face up. They are then shuffled by the dealer. The dealer will deal each card to a player in turn.
The best hand in a poker game is a hand of four cards of the same rank. These cards are called a flush. If two or more players have four cards of the same rank, the higher card wins.
A straight is a hand that contains two cards of the same rank. It can be an open-ended straight (two cards from outside) or a gutshot (two cards from inside). A straight that contains two cards of the same rank but not of the same suit is referred to as a backdoor flush.
A backdoor flush is achieved by hitting needed cards on the turn and river. The best possible straight is an 8-9. A gutshot is a straight completed from inside, but half as likely to hit as an open-ended straight.
The best poker hand is the one that contains the highest card in a four-card hand. It is usually awarded in a poker game. This is usually a straight flush, but may be awarded in some other games.
The best poker hand is also the one that contains the lowest cards. This is called the “nuts” or “nuts-forty”. The “nuts” or “nuts-forty” is the best hand you can have at any moment.