Poker is a card game that can be played by two to fourteen players with chips (money) to bet. Each player is dealt two cards and aims to make the best five card “hand” using their own cards and the community cards. The best hand wins the pot, all of the bets placed so far. Players can bet at any time, raising or lowering their bets depending on their situation and the strength of their hand. Players may also bluff, hoping to win by intimidating other players with superior hands.
While there are many different poker games, most involve betting on the best five-card hand. A winning hand can consist of a pair, three of a kind, four of a kind, or a straight. A pair consists of two matching cards, a full house consists of three of a kind, and a straight is five consecutive cards. Ties in poker are determined by the rank of the higher card, or by suit if the ranks are equal.
Some poker games have a special fund called the “kitty,” which is used to pay for new decks of cards, drinks, or food. Players build up the kitty by “cutting” a low-denomination chip from each pot in which they raise their bets. If a player leaves the game before it ends, they are not entitled to their share of the kitty.