Generally, Poker is played by a group of people around a circular table. The game involves a “showdown” in which the best five-card hand is displayed to everyone. There are several variations of the game, however.

Poker games involve the use of chips, normally made of plastic or ceramic. Chips can be exchanged for cash or used to place bets. In fixed-limit games, the amounts are pre-determined.

A poker hand is a combination of five cards, which can be any suit. A flush is a combination of five cards of the same suit, while a straight is five cards in a definite order. A three-of-a-kind is a hand consisting of two cards of the same rank and three cards of a different rank.

During the first betting phase, players are dealt two cards each. The first player has the right to call or raise the bet, while the second player has the right to fold. The player with the best hand wins the pot.

A hand with four cards of the same rank is known as fours of a kind. In some parts of the world, fours of a kind is referred to as quads.

A “backdoor flush” is achieved by hitting a needed card on the turn or river.

The first betting phase is known as the ante. Generally, the ante is $1 or $5. The small blind is half the ante, while the big blind is the full ante.