Poker is played by two or more players, with each player betting in turn. The player with the best hand wins the pot of money. Poker is a game of luck, but also requires skill and strategy. There are many different games of Poker, each with its own unique rules and variations. Poker can be played for pennies and matchsticks, or professionally in famous casino card rooms.

In a standard game of Poker, each player is dealt five cards. Players can raise or drop their bets in a round of betting that ends when all remaining players show their hands. Usually, there is only one player left who collects the prize (the pot). The game has many mechanisms by which players can strategically misinform each other about the strength of their hands. Depending on the rules of the particular game, players can also swap cards with others before showing their hands.

The highest-ranking hand is a royal flush, which includes a 10 of the same suit (clubs, diamonds, hearts, or spades). A straight contains 5 consecutive cards of the same rank, but from more than one suit. A three of a kind is made up of 3 cards of the same rank, and 2 matching cards of another rank. Four of a kind is 4 cards of the same rank (but not the same suits). Two pair is two distinct pairs of cards and a fifth card of any rank. High card breaks ties.