Poker is a game of chance, played by groups of people around an oval or circular table. The players are dealt cards, then make bets into the pot. A player with the highest poker hand wins the pot.
In most games, a deck of 52 cards is used, but some versions use multiple packs, or wild cards. Regardless of the format, all hands contain five cards. Cards are ranked from ace to ace, with the lowest pair being the pair of aces.
Poker begins with a deal, where a player who is to the left of the button puts in a blind bet. This gives the other players something to chase.
Players make bets, which may be called forced bets or ante. A player who calls a previous bet is said to “call.”
Players who don’t call are said to “fold.” If they don’t owe anything to the pot, they are said to “check.”
After the first round of betting, players start a new round of betting. The betting interval is the interval between the initial round of betting and the next round of betting.
When a new round of betting begins, the two players left of the dealer button begin betting. They do this in clockwise order.
Then the cards are shuffled. The player who is on the left of the dealer button is the first dealer. He deals the cards to the players in the leftmost column.
As the cards are shuffled, players are given the option to discard or keep. During this time, the dealer cuts the cards, and the cards are reshuffled.