Poker is a card game in which players place a wager and then reveal their cards. The highest hand wins the pot. There are many variants of poker, but they all share some basic features. A standard poker hand consists of five cards. Each card has a rank determined by its mathematical probability, and hands are ranked in inverse order of their probabilities. Ties are broken by the higher of two unmatched cards (in a pair), or secondary pairs (in a full house). Players may choose to reveal their cards and bet, or they may remain hidden and try to win the pot by bluffing.
Some variants of poker require that all players contribute an initial amount to the pot, called an ante. This bet may be made before the cards are dealt, or it may replace an earlier ante in the same betting interval. A player who places a bet that exactly matches or exceeds the previous bettor’s bet is said to call, and one who raises their own bet is said to “raise.” Players are also permitted to check, in which case they stay in the betting without raising their own bet.
When all remaining players have revealed their hands in a final betting phase, the best hand wins the pot. Depending on the game, there may be several such pots in each round. In some games, the money collected in these pots is placed in a fund called the kitty, and any remaining chips are shared by the players. This ensures that no player walks away with all the money, but it also prevents the game from being all or nothing.
