Poker is a gambling game where players attempt to form the best possible hand from the cards that are dealt. There are various variations on the basic concept, but most include a combination of a set of five cards.

In a poker game, players will be dealt a full hand of five cards, usually two pairs and a single ace. The aim of the game is to make the best possible hand by betting, calling or folding. Some variants allow you to add more cards to your hand by using Wild Cards.

You will also be dealt a small amount of chips known as tokens. These chips are typically round, and are used to hold bets.

The first round of betting is called the antes. A small bet is placed in front of each player. This may be a bet in the pot, a forced bet or a blind bet.

The best hand in a poker game is often not the highest card. Sometimes a pair of Kings isn’t bad off the deal.

Other variations might not even consider flushes in their calculations. For example, a straight is a purely mathematical and statistically unimportant hand, but some games do not factor it into their calculations.

If all players are still in the game, the next round is the showdown. This is a special moment where the entire hand is revealed to the rest of the players.

It is not uncommon for more than one player to remain in the fray at the end of a betting round.