The Basics of Poker
Poker is a card game with a number of betting options. In addition to betting, players can check the pot, raise, or fold. Players use poker chips (usually red, white, black, blue, or green), which are assigned a value by the dealer before the game begins. When a player folds, they give up their hand and receive a new one from the dealer.
Poker is played with a standard deck of 52 cards, but some variants include additional jokers. In general, cards are ranked from Ace, King, Queen, and Jack, with the Ace being a high or low card. Each card also has four suits, although no suit is higher than another. The first phase of betting begins with the player to the left of the big blind. Next, three cards are dealt face-up in the center of the table, called the flop. The flop is the community cards, and each player uses the flop to build a five-card hand.
If there are two players with the same hand, the odd chips in the pot go to the player with the highest hand. If there is a tie, the pot is split as equally as possible. Usually, the player with the highest card by suit receives the odd chip.