Typical poker games award the pot to the highest hand. This depends on the stakes in the game. Some games also allow the pot to be awarded to the lowest ranked hand. However, these rules vary amongst poker variations. For example, some variant games have Wild Cards that are designed to take any suit.

The goal of the poker hand is to win by betting until all but one player folds. The best hand is considered to be a “trip”. This hand contains two distinct pairs of cards plus the fifth card.

When there are ties, the high card breaks them. The highest unmatched fifth card wins the hand. This is called the “backdoor flush”. The flush is achieved by hitting needed cards on the turn and river.

Typically, the dealer will deal each player a card one at a time. This occurs between each round of betting. Some variant games use two packs of cards, each with a different back colour. Normally, the cards are dealt face up.

After each hand, the dedicated dealer button moves one spot clockwise. The player in the first-to-act position sits immediately to the left of the big blind. The button is normally a plastic disk in live poker. The blinds are forced bets. They are placed in front of each player.

The poker chips are usually made of plastic or ceramic. They are easier to manage. The main game pot is placed in the center of the table. Players place bets into the center pot. The chips are then exchanged for cash.