Depending on the type of poker game, each player will be dealt a total of seven cards. The goal of the game is to make the best poker hand possible. The player with the best hand wins the pot. If a player has two identical poker hands, the winnings are divided equally.
The game is played by a group of people around an oval table. The dealer shuffles the cards and deals them out to the players one at a time. Each player is dealt with a pair of cards, which are two cards of the same rank. In some cases, the dealer may pass out all of the cards to each player at once. The player with the highest pair wins.
During a betting phase, each player may bet, check or fold. If a player decides to raise, they can do so by raising the stake or by matching the current bet. If a player chooses to fold, they will discard their hand and any cards that were in their hand. If a player declines to fold, they are said to drop. If a player decides to call, they must match the bet. If no other player calls, the player may choose to fold.
After a betting period, a player can bluff, which is when they bet they have the best hand without revealing it to the other players. If the other players call the bluff, the player can continue to play. The player who bluffs will have the advantage over the other players and will be the player with the best hand.
The first dealer is determined by the highest card in the shuffled deck. This card is called the jack of hearts. The next highest card determines the flush. The flush is five cards of the same suit, which are in sequential order. If two players have flushes of the same suit, the higher flush wins.
A pair is two cards of the same rank, but not the same suit. If the two pairs are of equal rank, they should be compared by the second highest odd card. If the two pairs are not of equal rank, they should be compared to determine which is the best.
A straight is a sequence of five cards, which is the highest possible hand. A flush is five cards of the same suit, but not in sequential order. A four of a kind is a combination of four cards of the same rank. It is sometimes called a quad. Generally, a four of a kind is better than a three of a kind, and it beats a straight. The joker is considered the fifth card in certain special hands.
In a showdown, the player with the best poker hand wins the pot. If all of the other players call, the round of betting ends. If the players fold, the players are done. In a showdown, each player will be given their cards and show them to the other players.