The Basics of Poker

Poker is a card game that can be played by two to seven players. It is played using a standard 52-card English deck with one or two jokers (wild cards). The game may or may not involve bluffing. It is a game of chance, but players can choose to place bets based on probability and psychology.

A hand consists of five cards. The highest hand wins. The cards can be of any rank and suit. A full house consists of three matching cards of the same rank and two matching cards of another rank. A flush consists of any five consecutive cards of the same suit. A straight consists of five cards in sequence but not all from the same suit. A pair consists of two cards of the same rank.

A player must reveal their hand in the betting phase of each round. They can then either fold or take the pot/all bets. In some variants of the game, a player can choose to not reveal their hand and if they do this cannot win that round.