How to Play Online Poker
Poker is a type of card game, usually played by a group of players. It uses a standard 52-card deck. The cards are dealt face-up.
The aim of the game is to make the best possible hand out of the five cards. Some poker games allow for bluffing. This means that a player can wager that he or she has the best hand, but the other players can call the bet and re-raise the bet.
All poker games involve at least one round of betting. At the end of the round, the bets are gathered into a pot.
When a bet is made, each player may discard some of his or her cards. Depending on the rules of the game, the highest ranking hand is awarded the pot. In some variants, the pot is split between the highest and lowest hands.
Typically, a single round of betting is followed by a showdown, when the cards are revealed. The winner of the showdown receives the pot. However, if more than one player remains in contention, the winner of the showdown is determined by the highest hand.
Before a round of betting, each player is required to contribute a certain amount of cash or chips to the pot. This amount is known as the ante. Depending on the rules of the game, some of these contributions may be a forced bet. For example, if the first player bets, the remaining players must also bet.