In the game of Poker, players almost always use chips. For games involving seven or more players, chips should be provided. White chips are the lowest value, and reds are worth five or more. Blue chips are worth two, four, or five reds. Players buy “in” to the game by purchasing chips of equal or greater value. If more than 10 players participate, two separate games can be arranged. The amount of chips required to buy in varies, but the amount of each type should be the same.
The lowest possible hand is 7-5-4-3-2 in two or more suits. An ace is sometimes treated as the lowest card in some games. If a pair of aces is the lowest hand, the player with the highest pair wins. If no players have a pair of aces or a straight, the highest pair wins. In the case of two-player games, a player’s highest pair will usually win. A pair of aces is the highest hand, but the lowest pair is not always the best.
After the ante has been paid, any player in the game has the option to check or raise their bet. During the first round, the dealer deals the first three community cards face up. The small blind is the player to the dealer’s left in the hand. The small blind must bet before he or she can make a cut. After the ante has been made, the dealer deals the remaining cards to the players. During the following rounds, the player must make a choice between raising or checking.
