Generally, poker is a gambling game where players compete for a pot. The highest hand wins. Ties are broken by the highest card or pair.

Before the start of the hand, each player is dealt a card face down. The dealer has the last right to shuffle the cards.

The game is played with a standard 52-card deck. Each hand consists of five cards. Cards are ranked as ace, king, queen, Jack, and 10 (the Ace may be regarded as the lowest card).

The highest hand wins the pot. Each hand is broken into ties if the highest card is not the same rank as the other. If two hands are identical, ties are broken by secondary pairs. For example, two pairs beat a straight flush. When two fours are identical, the high card breaks the tie.

A flopped full house, or a hand consisting of two Aces, a King, and a Queen, is an example of a hand that is difficult to beat. The best hand to win a pot is the Royal Flush, which is a hand of ten, jack, queen, ace, and king.

When playing, a player’s goal is to build the pot. A pot is the sum of all bets made by all players at one time. A player can win the pot by betting the best hand or by betting the highest bet.

Poker can be played with any number of players. The ideal number is six to eight players.