Poker is a card game played by players with a variety of different strategies. Each hand involves a combination of chance and strategy, and players must choose the best strategy to maximize their chances of winning. Players are dealt seven cards, one at a time. Players reveal their cards in a final betting phase. The best hand wins the pot.

In poker, the best hand consists of five cards of the same suit, or five cards of different suits. If more than one person has a five-of-a-kind hand, the higher card wins. In addition, wild cards can make a five-of-a-kind, which is the highest possible hand.

Poker is a game of chance, with a small amount of psychology and skill involved. This basic primer is meant to introduce the basic rules of poker and give an overview of the game. However, you should not consider this primer as an in-depth guide. For a deeper dive into the game, you should consider buying a book on the subject. It is recommended that you play with a group instead of studying the rules alone.

In the beginning, each player is dealt two cards face-down, one of which is their pocket. Their hidden cards are called their pocket or hole. Then, the betting phase starts, starting from the player to the left of the big blind. After that, 3 cards are dealt face-up in the middle of the table, known as the flop. The flop is used by each player to build a five-card hand.