Poker is a card game with rules based on probability, psychology and game theory. It is a popular game played in homes, clubs, casinos and on the Internet.
Typically, each player begins the game by placing a small amount of money, called an ante or a blind bet (depending on the type of poker being played), into the central pot before being dealt cards. After this initial forced bet, players are dealt cards, usually hole cards that they keep hidden from their opponents.
There are many different variations of poker, but the basic game is to create the best five-card poker hand you can with your cards. There are several winning hands, including:
Royal flush – This is a hand made up of 10 of any card and all cards in one suit. It can only be beaten by a straight flush or four of a kind.
Straight – This is a hand made up by 5 consecutive cards of the same suit. It can only be beaten by four of a kind or a royal flush.
Full house – This is a hand made up from three cards of the same rank and two cards in another suit. It can only be beaten by two aces or a royal flush.
Flush – This is a hand made up if four consecutive cards of the same suit are dealt. It can only be beaten by king, queen or jack of that same suit.