Poker is a game of skill, where the players attempt to create the best possible hand. This is accomplished by taking five cards and forming the highest possible combination. A poker hand may consist of any combination of the five cards in the hand, including four of a kind, flush, straight, or three of a kind.

In a standard poker game, the pot is awarded to the player with the best hand. If two or more players tie for the high hand, the pot will be split evenly.

The game is typically played with two decks of cards. Two decks of different back colours are used. One deck is dealt face down, the other is dealt face up. Players have the option of shuffling the deck.

Once the players have received their cards, they must show them to the other players. After showing their hands, they can choose to bet, pass, or fold.

Each player must place the appropriate amount of chips into the pot. It is also necessary to make forced bets. These bets can be an ante or a blind bet.

The first player to bet is called the first bettor. The first bettor must bet the minimum.

The player who raises the next bet is called a raiser. Those who call the previous bet are called calls.

Some games, such as Seven-card Stud, are played with an ante. An ante is a small bet made before each hand is dealt. Usually the ante is $1 or $5.