The game of Poker is a card game in which players place bets to compete for the pot. The highest hand wins. The game is played from a standard pack of 52 cards. Some games also add wild cards (jokers) to increase the chances of a winning hand.
Players must contribute an ante before each hand is dealt, and then bet into the pot during betting intervals. A player who bets the same amount as the previous bettor is said to call, and a player who bets more than the previous bettor is said to raise. A player who doesn’t make a bet is said to check.
A player who makes a straight or flush on the flop, river, or final turn of a poker hand is said to have made a full house. The full house contains three matching cards of one rank and two matching cards of another rank. A straight is a series of 5 consecutive cards of the same suit. A flush is any five cards of the same suit, but not necessarily in order.
It is common for a group of players to agree on certain rules, called “house rules,” to govern their game. These rules may differ from the official Poker laws, and should be written down for reference. In addition, a game may be played under different conditions at a given time, for example when there are more than 10 players in the room.
