Poker is a game in which players try to get the best hand possible. The highest hand wins the pot, which is the sum of all bets made by all players in one deal. The game is played with chips and usually involves a small bet called an ante, which is placed by all players before the hand commences.

The game typically begins with each player being dealt three cards face down and two cards face up. The player with the lowest hand starts first, then play proceeds clockwise until all players have had a chance to bet or fold.

There are many different variations of poker, but all the games are similar in that a small bet called an ante is required before each player is dealt their cards. Each player is then able to see their own cards and bet accordingly.

A hand is a group of five cards, which can be the ones you were dealt or a combination of your own cards and the cards in the pot. The best hand is the one that has the highest card rank.

In most games, the highest possible hand is 7-5-4-3-2 in two or more suits. If two hands tie on the same rank, the highest-ranking hand outside the ties is awarded the hand.

A hand that has five cards of the same suit in sequence is known as a flush. A hand that has four cards of the same rank is called a four-of-a-kind, and a high card outside a four-of-a-kind is known as a kicker.