The Basics of Poker

Poker is a card game that involves betting between two or more players for several rounds. It can have many different variations, but they all tend to have some common aspects. The player with the best poker hand at the end of a round wins all the money that was bet during that round.

In most of the major poker games, the amount of money bet by all the players in a single round is called the pot. The winner of each round takes the entire pot, which can sometimes be split into side pots in the case of a draw.

Some poker variants require all players to place a mandatory bet before each round of play, which is called an ante. This bet is placed in the pot before players see their cards and cannot be withdrawn until the round is over.

Once the antes are placed, players receive 2 cards each that they keep hidden from the other players. Then a round of betting begins, usually starting with the player to the left of the dealer. Then 3 community cards are dealt, followed by another betting phase. Finally, the remaining 5 cards are revealed, and the player with the best hand wins.

Ties are determined by the rank of the hands in terms of their odds (probability). Unless a rule states otherwise, pairs of identical cards tie, as do fours of a kind and full houses. If a pair is equal in value, the higher card breaks the tie.