Poker is a gambling game played with cards. The player with the best poker hand wins the pot. There are many variations of the game. Most people play Texas Hold’em, which is considered to be the most popular poker game in the modern era.

Players begin the game with one card face up, and each other is dealt another. During the first round of betting, the first bettor must bet a minimum amount. In later rounds, the first bettor may check.

When the last bettor raises, the betting period ends. All other players must then fold. After the final betting round, the player with the highest hand takes the pot. A hand that contains a straight and two other cards of the same rank wins.

Cards are then shuffled. Each player is dealt five cards. If the player has an Ace, the other four cards are traded. Often, the ace is regarded as the lowest card in the deck.

To determine the order of hands, the player can count the number of chips in the pot. Typically, poker is played with a 52-card deck. It is also possible to use a community card.

Some variants of the game may award the pot to the lowest hand, or split it between the highest and lowest hands. Other variations may not consider flushes or straights in the ranking of the highest hand.

Most games have an ante, a small bet all players must make before the cards are dealt. This gives the pot a value right away.