Whether you are a novice or a seasoned poker player, you need to understand some basic poker rules to play your best game. Poker is a game of chance played by a group of people around an oval or circular table. The object of the game is to make the best five-card hand using your cards. Poker games vary in how many cards are shared by the players, the number of cards dealt out, and how the cards are dealt.
The earliest known form of poker was played with twenty cards. However, today, poker games use a standard pack of cards. The deck is usually shuffled and a dedicated dealer button is placed in front of each player. The dealer cuts the cards and passes out a set number of cards.
The player to the left of the button is responsible for making a small blind. The button moves clockwise after each hand, indicating the starting position.
The initial dealer cuts the deck. After the initial dealer has passed out a set number of cards, the remaining two players begin betting. When betting is over, the player who has the best hand takes the pot. If there are more players in contention, a showdown occurs.
After the dealer passes out all the cards, the player who has the highest card receives the first position. If there are ties, the high card breaks the tie. When multiple people have the same high card, the higher card wins the pot.
