Poker

Poker is a family of card games where players compete to create the best hand. These games vary in deck size, number of cards dealt face up or face down and number of players involved but have similar rules that involve a series of betting rounds.

Rules of play

Each poker variant has its own unique set of rules for determining who is eligible to bet, raise and call. In the simplest form, a player must put in the pot a specified number of chips to make his contribution to the pot at least equal to that of the player to his left; this is called a “call”.

The cards are dealt clockwise among the players with one card face up and one card face down for each active player; the dealer shuffles the deck and deals each round. Typically, three rounds are dealt, each with a betting interval after the deal.

Bluffing

Bluffing is a fundamental element of poker; it is the use of bluffs to deceive opponents into believing that a player’s hand has a better chance of winning than it actually does. The bluffing player may not reveal their hand or any of the cards that they are holding.

High card: In poker, a high card is any card that ranks higher than another card in a player’s hand. The highest card in a poker hand is often the kicker, which is the highest-ranking card remaining in the deck when no other cards are uncovered.