Poker is a card game in which players independently try to assemble the best possible five-card hand of cards. Typical hands include one pair of distinct cards, three of a kind, straight, or flush. The relative rank of poker hands is determined by their odds (probability). Ties are broken by the highest card, and the higher a poker hand ranks, the more money it wins.
In most forms of poker, players are required to place bets into a pot before they can see their cards. These bets are often forced, but players may also choose to bluff by betting that they have a superior hand. Regardless of the particular rules of the game, poker is an inherently social game.
After a player has placed a bet, the dealer shuffles the cards, and each player receives their cards. Depending on the variant being played, the first of several rounds of betting then begins.
The simplest form of poker requires only a single deck of cards. However, most modern poker games use a community board consisting of 5 cards that are revealed in stages: the “flop”, the “turn”, and the “river”. During each of these phases a round of betting takes place.
After the final round of betting, each player reveals their cards and the hand with the highest rank wins the pot. In many variants of poker, players can also win side pots for their individual bets. The size of these side pots is usually proportional to the amount of money that the player contributed to the overall pot.