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The Basics of Poker

Poker

Poker is a card game played by several players. Typically, each player has four cards of the same rank, plus one additional card. When two players have four of a kind, the higher-ranking hand wins. If no two players have the same four of a kind, the high card is used to break ties. Likewise, a flush is a set of all cards in the same suit.

In poker, the goal of a hand is to have the highest ranking hand. The player with the best hand will win the pot, which consists of all the money that was bet during the hand. In case of a draw, all of the money is shared equally amongst all the players. A player who does not have a high-ranking hand is said to be “passive.”

Almost all poker games involve poker chips. For a game with seven or more players, it’s best to have at least 200 chips available. White chips are the lowest-valued. Blue chips are worth ten or twenty-five whites, and red chips are worth five whites. Other chips are worth two, four, or five reds. When players are ready to enter a game, they buy in by buying chips.

Some poker variations require blind bets before the game begins. These bets can be in addition to or replacement for the ante. Each round, the blind bet requirement is rotated around the table.