Poker is a card game, where players bet into a central pot. Players bet in a round, and the best hand wins the pot. The final betting round ends with a “showdown” when all the hands are shown. If more than one player is still in the pot after the final round, a “side pot” is formed from any additional money bet by the remaining players.
Before the game begins, each player buys a certain amount of poker chips. These can be white, black, blue or red. Each chip has a value, usually based on its color.
A player’s first bet is called an ante. The player may also bet a forced bet. This can be an ante or a blind bet.
Cards are dealt clockwise around the poker table. After the first round of betting, the dealer places a three-card flop face up.
In each round, all but one player folds. In some games, all the cards are dealt face up, while in others, only some of the cards are seen.
In a high-card hand, the kicker is the highest-ranking card in the deck. The card can be used to break ties. It breaks ties if two or more people have the same card. When a pair of kings is tied, the high card breaks the tie.
If more than one player has a four of a kind, the highest-ranking card outside the four of a kind will win the pot. Two four of a kind with the same rank will win the pot if the high card is not a pair.