Poker is a card game of chance and skill, played socially for pennies or professionally for thousands of dollars. There are many variations of poker, from simple games such as stud to the popular No-Limit Hold’em. Regardless of the variation, the rules remain the same. Those who play with the most skill will win.
Before a hand is dealt, players put in an initial contribution, called an ante. Depending on the game, this may be anywhere from a single white chip to a maximum of double the size of the big blind. Once the cards are dealt, each player has the option to bet, call, or fold. The player who makes the best five-card poker hand according to traditional poker hand rankings wins the pot.
Once all betting is completed, the remaining players expose their hole cards and, with the help of the dealer, a winner is determined. This is known as the showdown. In most poker games, the highest hand wins. However, some games use wild cards to alter the rules of the game or the rank of a particular hand (such as dueces or one-eyed jacks).
It is common for players to agree to establish a special fund, called a kitty, that is used to pay for new decks of cards and other supplies. Any low-denomination chips left in the kitty when the game ends are divided equally among the players who are still in the game.