Poker is a family of card games played around the world. Depending on the variation, a number of cards are used to make the best possible hand. Players must bet in order to win. Some variations have wild cards that augment a regular set of cards.

The ante is a small bet all players must make before a hand is dealt. This gives the pot a name and value immediately.

A hand that combines all five cards is called a flush. If two of these cards are of the same suit, the flush wins.

The pot is divided equally amongst the players. There is a lot more to a poker game than meets the eye.

Most games have a standard deck of 52 cards, but some variants use more than one pack. For instance, some games use both a traditional deck and an oversized deck, often called a “short” pack.

Cards are dealt in clockwise order. The dealer button is a white plastic disk or buck that indicates the nominal dealer.

The showdown is the most exciting part of the game. In this phase, all but one player folds.

The highest card, or best hand, wins the prize. While the game may have several rounds, the end result is the same.

Other tidbits include the fact that all cards are used to determine who gets the odd chip. During a draw, the cards may be face down or on top of each other.