In poker, each player makes a bet by placing chips in the pot. Each color of chip represents a different dollar amount. Most games use a standard 52 card deck and four suits (spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs). The highest hand wins the pot. A poker game may also have wild cards, which can take on any suit and rank.
Players place bets during the entire hand, and there are a number of betting streets. Each street involves a round of betting and the dealer dealing one more card face up, called the river. During the final betting street, players who have a high poker hand win the pot.
There are many variants of poker, but they all share the same basic structure. Players place bets in turn, starting with the person to their left of the dealer. In addition to placing a bet, players can bluff by stating that they have a good poker hand. This can encourage other players to call their bet.
The best poker hands are comprised of five cards that are ranked higher than the others. A high pair consists of two distinct cards of the same rank, and a third unmatched card. A straight is 5 consecutive cards of the same rank, and a flush is 5 matching cards of the same suit. In cases where more than one hand has a high pair or a flush, the highest straight wins. The highest pair also breaks ties.
