Poker is a card game that involves hands of two distinct pairs of cards, plus a fifth card. The winner is the player with the highest pair and the highest card, unless there is a tie. A tie is broken when neither player has a pair or two high cards of the same type. Generally, the lowest pair is a pair of aces.

The betting procedure in poker varies from one game to another. Players ante an amount that varies depending on the game, then bet into the pot in the middle of the table. The winner is the player with the best hand, and the bets are placed clockwise. During the betting phase, a player has three options: to fold or raise their initial bet, or to fold and wait for the next hand to show up.

Poker is played with a standard deck of 52 cards, although some games use multiple decks or add jokers. Cards are ranked from Ace to King, Queen, and Jack, and are based on their suit. Aces are either high or low, depending on the suit. Typically, players use five cards per hand. Occasionally, Wild Cards are used, which can take any suit.

Poker is a fun card game that can be played with as many as four people. However, a table with six to eight players is optimal. In poker, the pot is the sum total of all bets made by all players in one game. Often, the player with the best hand wins the pot.