The Basics of Poker
Typically, poker is played with a standard deck of 52 cards. The deck is divided into four suits: Ace, King, Queen, Jack. Players can use any combination of cards from the deck to make their best hand.
The highest five-card hand wins the pot. If two or more players have five-card hands, the high card breaks ties. A flush is a set of five cards of the same suit. A straight is five cards in sequential order. If a straight is tied, the straight with the highest value wins.
A straight flush is the best natural hand. If the ace is low, it may be treated as the lowest card in some games. The Royal Flush is a hand made up of an ace high straight flush. It may also be called a “backdoor flush,” since it is possible to hit a needed card on the turn or river.
The lowest possible hand is a 7-5-4-3-2 in two or more suits. This hand is called 6-4-3-2-A. Occasionally, the hand is used as the final showdown.
Another type of poker is a five-card draw. In this game, each player must bet an ante before being dealt with the cards. This is a small bet, usually between $1 and $5. The player may choose to check, raise, or fold. Normally, the player who raises will add more chips to the pot. If the player does not raise, he will not be able to compete for the pot.