Poker is a card game in which players make wagers (called “betting rounds”) on the outcome of a hand. The game can be played as a tournament or in a cash game. While the rules of poker are generally the same in both formats, there are some differences. In cash games, dealers usually keep track of the amount of money a player buys into a hand, and they may require players to stack their chips in front of them. Tossing the chips directly into the pot, popular in film and television depictions of poker, is not allowed, as it can cause confusion over the amount of a raise and may detract from the game’s enjoyment.
In most poker variants, the dealer shuffles the cards, then deals them to the players one at a time, starting with the player to their right. The cards may be dealt face-up or down, depending on the game. Once the cards are dealt, betting begins and the highest hand wins the pot.
The players must pay an initial bet, called the “ante,” to be dealt a hand. Players then place bets into the pot in a clockwise manner. When the betting round reaches a player, they must either fold their hand or call the bet. If they call a bet when they do not have the best hand, this is called a crying call or hero call.
Some poker variants use suits to break ties between cards of the same rank. These suits are clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades.
