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The Basics of Poker

Despite the many variants of poker, the basic rules of the game remain the same. The aim of the game is to make the best hand possible with a set of five cards. These cards are ranked from the ace to the king.

Poker can be played with any number of players. Generally, the ideal number is 6 to eight players. A typical game will have a blind bet and an ante. The ante is a small bet, usually around one dollar.

The ante is a “buy in” bet, which is placed before the cards are dealt. The blind is a forced bet. When a player raises his or her stake, all other players must fold.

The ace is the best card in poker. It can be used to count high or low in a straight, or linked with the king in a flush. A straight is made up of five cards of the same suit, beginning with the highest card.

The ace is also used to count the number of cards that are in a hand. If the ace is linked with the king, then the hand would be a pair. Likewise, if the ace is linked with the deuce, then the hand would be a flush.

The smallest number of cards in a hand is five. A pair is two cards of equal rank. If two pairs are of equal rank, then the higher pair should be compared to the lower pair.