The Basics of Poker

Typically, Poker involves a group of people playing on a circular table. The goal of the game is to build the highest hand possible, which is usually made up of five cards.

There are various poker variations that vary in terms of the amount of chips that are in the pot, as well as the rules of the game. Some versions require the use of wild cards, which are cards that can take any suit, while others allow the use of jokers.

Before the actual game, the dealer will shuffle the deck and assign values to the chips. The dealer will then distribute the cards to the players. Each player will be dealt two cards. One of the cards will be face up and the other will be face down.

Each player will then decide whether to make a bet or fold. When a player folds, he or she must throw away the hand. The player must then bet again.

The first round of betting will be done in a clockwise manner. The blinds are forced bets. This allows each player to have a chance to chase other players’ bets.

The ante is the buy-in bet for a round. Normally, the ante is $1 or $5. The kitty is a special fund that each player can establish. The kitty is used to pay for new decks of cards.

The final betting phase is called the showdown. The player with the best hand wins the pot. If two or more people have the same hand, a high card breaks the tie.