The Basics of Poker

Poker is a game of skill and chance where players wager a combination of chips. The highest hand wins the pot. There are many variations on the rules and strategy of the game, but they all play with five cards. Often, cards are dealt face down and face up. Cards are then shuffled by the dealer.

In Poker, the cards are ranked from Ace high. When there are more than one pair of the same card, the higher of the two pairs wins. It’s also possible to break a tie using a high card.

To start the game, each player must purchase a number of chips that equals the amount that the last player contributed to the pot. If a player drops out, he loses his rights to the original pot.

A kitty chip is a special fund that each player must contribute to. Using this fund, players pay for new decks of cards. Players can trade cards to improve their hands.

A wild card is a card that is not part of the regular deck. They can be used to create a five of a kind hand. However, a wild card is only allowed in certain games.

After all the cards are shuffled and the pot is distributed, the player with the highest ranking poker hand makes the first bet. This may be a forced bet or a blind bet.

If no other player calls, the hand is called a showdown. During a showdown, the players reveal their hands.