Poker is a family of card games in which players wager over a combination of cards. The hand containing the best combination of five cards is the winner.

Most poker games use a standard deck of cards. A 52-card pack is common. In some games, jokers are added.

In a standard game of Poker, the highest possible hand is a straight flush with five cards of the same suit. The lowest possible hand is a seven-five-four-three-two.

Ties are broken when the dealer shows a high card. If several people have the same high card, the hands are broken by the highest unmatched card.

Some Poker variants involve a betting interval. The kitty is a special fund. It is used to pay for new decks of cards.

Typically, players are dealt a set of cards, which they must reveal before betting. These cards can be shown face up or face down.

Players must check, raise, or fold when their turn to bet arrives. To call, a player must match the previous bet. He or she can also raise the current open bet.

Poker is played in clubs, casinos, and homes. It is widely played in North America. However, other countries also play the game.

The game is usually played with a set of poker chips, which come in different colors. Typically, a dark-colored chip is worth two or four reds and a blue chip is worth ten or twenty whites.

Each player is assigned a certain number of chips. Depending on the game, the players are required to contribute a specific amount before the deal. When a player leaves the game before the end, his or her chips are not awarded to him.