The Basics of Poker

Players in a game of poker use chips of various colors. Before the game begins, the dealer assigns a value to each chip, and players exchange their chips for cash when they are in need of money. Each round, the dealer deals out a hand of cards to each player, shuffles the deck, and deals the cards again. The dealer may not be a player. Whether a dealer is a player or a non-player is a matter of personal preference.

When no combination is possible, the high card is valued. When two players have the same card, the pair wins. When more than one player has two pairs, the winner is the player with the higher pair. In a game of poker, the highest five-card hand is a straight. If more than two players have a straight, the player with the higher pair wins. Likewise, a player with the highest pair wins a game.

The game began in the card rooms of the United States. Later, the World Series of Poker was created, a tournament to crown a world champion. Thousands of people play the game around the world, and the popularity of online poker has fueled its growth. If you’d like to try your hand at playing poker online, all you need is a table and chairs. There are numerous poker websites on the Internet, and they’re easy to navigate.