Poker is a card game played with a standard 52-card deck. It is played in casinos, private homes and poker clubs. The aim is to create the best hand possible. There are different variations of the game.

The first card is dealt face-down. The dealer then shuffles the cards. Usually, players use four cards to make their hand.

The player with the highest hand wins. The Royal Flush, which is a five-card hand with a pair of aces, is the best possible hand in most games.

Poker can be played with up to eight people. Each player can discard up to three cards. Players then reveal their hands. The winner takes the pot.

A “bet” is made, which is usually a chip. This may be a single bet or a number of bets. If a player bets a number of chips, they are said to be active.

In most poker variants, the ante is the minimum bet. However, in some games, the ante can be as high as $5.

One of the most popular poker variants is Texas Hold’Em. This version of the game uses a 52-card deck, and the goal is to make the best possible hand.

Other variants include the stud poker game, which was introduced in the American Civil War. Stud poker requires a player to put more than half of his chips into the pot during the last betting round.

Some variants of the game may not consider straights, a standard poker hand.