Poker is a card game that involves betting between players and requires a significant amount of skill, psychology, and probability. The game also has a rich history dating back centuries and continues to grow and evolve.
A complete hand is dealt to each player and the players then bet in one round, raising and re-raising as the betting progresses. The highest hand wins the pot. Players may discard and draw cards if they wish.
Most poker variants require a forced bet at the beginning of each hand, called a blind. The player to the left of the dealer (or the player holding the button) has the small blind and the player two positions to his or her right has the big blind, usually twice as much as the small blind.
The highest poker hands are royal flush (A, K, Q, J, 10 of the same suit); straight flush (5 cards in a sequence but not the same suit); four of a kind (four cards of the same number or picture); full house (three of a kind and a pair); and two pairs. The highest card breaks ties.
In addition to the mandatory forced bet, players can also voluntarily place additional chips into the pot for various reasons, including to raise their own bets or to bluff. The chips placed in the pot are known as side pots and can be separate from the main pot. When the final betting is complete, each player shows his or her cards. The winning player takes the main pot, or the side pots if there are multiple all-in players.
