The Basics of Poker
Generally, a poker game starts with a deal of cards. Each player is dealt one card face up, and another card is dealt face up to each player. The player who gets the highest card is the first dealer.
The dealer also has the final right to shuffle the deck. After the deal, the next round of betting begins. Each player is required to place a number of chips equal to the total contribution of the player before him into the pot. This is called an ante. The ante usually ranges from $1 to $5.
A player can either choose to fold, or call or raise. A player may also bluff by betting that he or she has the best hand.
The player with the best hand is said to win the pot. The pot is the sum of all the bets made by the players in one round. In some games, a player may be required to contribute before the deal, but in other games he or she may only place bets in the pot if he or she is trying to bluff other players.
Poker is usually played with a deck of 52 cards. In some variant games, a wild card is added to the deck. In these games, the wild card can take any suit.
Poker is usually played with a large table. The table will usually have eight or nine players. The number of players may vary, and the game may be played in several rounds.