Poker is a card game of strategy that involves betting between two or more players. It is played with a fixed number of cards and a standard set of rules. In poker the goal is to win the pot by having the highest-ranking hand at the end of a betting round or by making a bet that no other player calls. There are a large variety of poker variants that can be played with 2 to 14 players.
During the betting phase of a poker game players have the option to call, raise or fold their cards. When a player raises his stake in the pot it means that he is not folding and wants to stay in the game until a showdown is reached.
After the initial betting phase is over the dealer places three cards face-up on the table which all players can use in their poker hands (this is called the flop). Players then reveal their hand and place bets accordingly.
When playing poker you should always pay attention to the board when holding a good poker hand. For example if you have pocket kings and an ace hits the board this could spell disaster.
A poker hand can be classified into five categories depending on the ranking of the cards. The best hand is a full house consisting of a pair and three distinct cards of the same rank, while a straight flush beats any other poker hand. Tie breaks are determined by the highest unmatched card and then by secondary pairs if both players have identical high cards.