The Basics of Poker

Poker is a card game played with a group of people. Ideally, there will be six to eight players. All players make bets on their hands. The total amount bet by all players is called the pot. The player with the highest poker hand can win the pot. If no one calls, they must fold. The ante is a small, optional bet. A player can raise their bet if they have a high card.

The player with the highest hand is the nut. All other players are dealt face down. A nut is a high card that is not used in the hand. A poker table will also have a muck, a pile of folded cards that are burned and are not usable. This is the same for every game. When a nut is the highest card in the deck, it is called a high card and is not used in a hand.

In most poker games, players purchase chips that are worth different amounts. For example, a blue chip is worth two or four whites and a red chip is worth twenty or more. Players buy in by purchasing chips and placing them into the pot. Each player must contribute the same amount of chips in the pot as the previous player. The person who puts his chips into the pot is called an active player. If a player has a high pair, he wins. If a player has a pair of fives, he loses the hand.