Poker is a card game played by two or more people. There are different rules for each game, but in general the highest hand wins. Each player puts up a certain amount of money to be dealt in to the game. This is called the ante. Once everyone has anted, the dealer deals them cards. Players then place bets into the middle of the table called the pot. This can be in the form of chips or cash. When a player calls a bet they must put the same amount of money into the pot as the person before them or fold their hand.

A standard pack of 52 cards is used (although some games use more cards or add jokers). There are four suits: spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs. Each suit has a rank, from high to low: Ace, King, Queen, Jack and 10. A poker hand has five cards, the highest winning hand.

Before the cards are dealt, each player makes a forced bet (the amount varies by game). This is called the ante or blind bet. Then the cards are shuffled and cut by the player to their right. The dealer then deals the cards to each player one at a time, face up or down, depending on the game.

After the initial deal, the first of several betting rounds begins. Each player must either call the bet and put in the same amount as the person before them, raise it and put more into the pot or fold their hand and not play that hand again.

If a player calls a bet they may then raise their bet when it’s their turn again. If they raise the bet, then all other players must call it if they want to continue playing that hand.

The next stage in the betting is called the flop. After the flop is revealed there are three more community cards on the table that everyone can use to make a hand. After the third round of betting is complete the dealer will put a fifth card on the table that everyone can use to make their best hand.

A good starting hand for a beginner would be pocket kings or queens on the flop. However, you have to be wary if the flop comes A-8-5 because there could be a flush or straight on the board that can beat your hand. Also, if the flop has lots of aces it’s not as easy to make a pair as it might seem. This is because the aces are usually the highest cards in the hand. High cards break ties, but it’s not always possible to make a pair.