Poker is a card game that is played by two or more players. A maximum of five cards are dealt to each player, and the players place bets during one betting interval (a round). At the end of the betting interval the player with the best hand wins the pot.
Depending on the rules of the game, one or more players are required to put a certain amount of chips into the pot before the cards are dealt. These are called forced bets and can take the form of an ante, blind bet or bring-in bet.
Before the cards are dealt the dealer shuffles and cuts the deck. This is referred to as the “button” position. The player on the button’s left then places a bet of one or more chips into the pot before the cards are dealt.
After the flop, the players must decide whether to continue betting at their current hands or fold them. Typically, this decision is made in light of the value of their hand and how it may change after the flop.
As a general rule, the higher the pair in a hand of Poker, the better the hand is. However, if the hands are identical, the winner is determined by rank; for example a straight beats a flush.