Poker is a family of card games that are played worldwide. Each game has its own rules, but all involve a form of betting. Players match their bets to the best hand they can form. The highest hand wins the pot.
Poker is played in casinos and at home with a group of friends or family. Poker has gained popularity throughout the world and has become the national card game of the United States.
A standard poker hand has five cards. These are usually dealt face-down. In some variations, all five cards must be the same suit.
Most modern games include a forced bet or ante. This is a wager by the player who has the most chips in the pot. For example, if the first player to bet makes the most money, he has to place a certain number of chips into the pot.
A full house is three of a kind plus a pair. A flush is five consecutive cards of the same suit. Similarly, a straight is made up of five consecutive cards of the same rank.
A straight flush is a very rare hand. It is even more rare than four of a kind. However, if two players have a flush, the winner is the highest card in the hand.
The best hand in a poker game is a combination of the lowest cards and the highest card in the hand. The lowest hand is typically a pair of jacks or aces.