Poker is a card game played with a standard 52-card deck and chips. The game can be played with anywhere from a single player to a group of up to eight players.

The object of the game is to make the best hand using five cards. The cards are ranked from Ace to Ten. The highest hand wins the pot. However, two hands may tie if they have the same rank and a high card breaks the tie.

A four of a kind is when four of the same cards are in a row. This is usually called a straight flush. If a player has two fours of a kind of the same rank, the high card breaks the tie.

A straight is a set of five cards of the same suit. If two players have a straight, the highest card is the winner. A pair is a pair of cards of the same rank. If a pair is a pair of aces, the low card is the lowest.

The pot is the aggregate of all bets and raises made by all players in one deal. It is split as evenly as possible.

A five of a kind is the highest possible hand, but only with a wild card. The best natural hand is a straight flush. Other winning hands include two pair, three of a kind, four of a kind, and two pairs.

The earliest version of the game, based on the Spanish primero, is thought to have come from Persia. In the 17th century, French settlers brought the game to the New World.