Poker is a game of skill, chance and strategy. The goal of the game is to make the best hand possible. It is usually played with a standard pack of 52 cards. If you want to learn more about this exciting and challenging game, there are many resources available. However, to enjoy it, it’s essential that you understand the basics of the rules.

The first step in playing poker is to buy chips. Each player must put in the same number of chips. This is called the ante. The chips may be either red, blue or white. These chips are typically worth two, four or five reds, or 10 or 25 whites. The chips are usually round.

The dealer shuffles the deck and deals cards to each player one at a time. The cards are usually dealt face down, but can be dealt face up depending on the type of game. This is done in clockwise order.

The betting phase begins with the player with the best face-up card. After that, the remaining players take turns revealing their cards. Each card is then ranked from Ace to high card. The higher the card, the more valuable the hand. The highest hand wins the pot. If several players have a similar card, a high card is used to break ties. If there is no match, the second highest card wins.

Another betting phase is then held between the newly dealt cards. The best combination of cards is not always the winner. The final round of betting, known as the showdown, occurs when the cards are revealed and the winner is determined. The winning player must reveal their hand, but can also choose to discard up to three cards.

If two identical hands are tied, the highest card outside of the four of a kind wins. If there are no tie-breakers, the winning hand is the best combination of cards. The best natural hand is a straight flush. It is comprised of the highest card and five consecutive cards from the same suit. A royal flush is a straight flush containing the highest card and the highest card of each suit.

A forced bet, or ante, is another popular form of poker. In most games, a player is required to put in an ante before the deal. The amount of a forced bet varies from game to game. In some variants, a player is able to double their ante in the middle of a round. If the ante is a large amount, it may be hard to call.

The showdown is the event where the winner of the poker hand is declared. This can happen either in a single round or over the course of several rounds. If the winner is not yet known, the player in first position collects the pot without showing their hand.

Some forms of Poker, such as draw and stud, require the player to put in an ante before the cards are dealt. These games can be played with as few as eight people or as many as 10 or more.