Generally, poker is played by a group of people around an oval table. The aim of the game is to develop the best hand by betting. The player with the highest hand wins the pot.
The game begins with the dealer making a shuffle of the deck. Each player receives a card face up and a card face down. The highest card dealt breaks a tie. The highest card dealt to a player who has two identical hands of the same rank wins.
After the initial shuffle, each player makes a bet towards the pot. The betting intervals are held in a clockwise fashion. Each player to the left of the dealer makes a bet, which he calls or “drops”.
The player to the left of the dealer makes essentially the same bet. He may raise or check. If the player calls, the betting is put in the pot. If the player checks, he does not make a bet but reserves the right to make one later.
If a player has a straight flush, all cards in the same suit are used. The straight flush ace can be high or low. This hand is sometimes called the Royal Flush.
The best hand is the straight flush. A full house is two distinct pairs plus the fifth card. This is the natural hand. A pair of Kings is not bad off the deal. However, if you bet immediately, this is the hand that will be hardest to beat.
