The game of poker is played by a group of people around a table, usually in an oval or circular shape. The objective is to make the best possible hand using five cards. If the players have a better hand, they can win by making a bet.

The game can be played with any number of players, but the minimum ante is usually one dollar. There are also no limit games that permit unlimited betting during the betting round.

Poker is played with a deck of cards, which the initial dealer deals out. Each player is dealt two cards and has the option to either discard or use all of the cards.

Ties are broken by a high card. In some versions of the game, the player with the highest card receives the pot. However, in other variations, the lowest hand is awarded.

A hand that is a combination of two distinct pairs plus a fifth card is the highest possible. The other highest hands are a straight, which consists of consecutive cards, and a flush, which contains five cards of the same suit in any order.

When betting, the player must bet in clockwise order. Once a player has bet, others must match.

One of the most important aspects of the game is reading the cards of the opponents. Ideally, you would bet with your highest hand, but you can also try to bluff.

Some versions of the game do not consider straights, or other similar hands. For example, a trip sevens beats a straight flush.