Poker is a family of card games in which players make bets and compete to earn the best hand. Players can bet with cards, coins, or by placing chips in the pot. The outcome of a hand depends on the actions of the players and is significantly affected by chance.
Cards are dealt clockwise around a poker table. Depending on the game, each player is dealt a complete hand of five cards. These cards are then evaluated, and any cards that are not used are folded.
The pot is the aggregate of all bets made by all players in one deal. Generally, the best poker hand wins the pot. Some games split the pot between the highest and lowest hands. Other games may award the pot to the player with the lowest hand.
Poker can be played in casinos, private homes, or by the Internet. There are hundreds of different variations of the game.
Players can bet using plastic or ceramic chips, or by coins. Players may also bluff. A bluff involves making a bet that another player may not be able to match.
Poker can be played by any number of people, though it is ideal to have a maximum of six or eight players. If players do not have enough chips, they may choose to “all-in” by revealing their entire hand to win the pot.
The first known form of poker was played with 20 cards. Later, the game was played with a full 52-card deck. In 1875, a wild card was introduced.