Whether you’re new to poker or a seasoned pro, poker is a card game where you win by having the highest hand. The player with the best hand wins all of the chips in the pot.

To play poker, you’ll need a pack of cards – a standard 52-card deck – and a few small chips. You’ll also need to make an ante, which is a mandatory bet, and a blind, which is a forced bet.

Poker is played worldwide, but the exact rules can vary from region to region. The number of players involved, the number of cards in the deck, and the number of rounds of betting are common factors.

The goal of the game is to bet until all of the other players fold. The winning hand is determined by the highest card, with ties broken by the second highest card.

The first round of betting starts with the player on the left of the dealer button. The second round starts with two of the remaining dealers. In a “backdoor flush” hand, a player hits his needed cards on the turn and river.

The final round of betting finishes with a showdown. This is when all of the cards are revealed and each player’s hand is determined.

In poker, there is usually a “side pot” – a separate pot created from extra money bet by the players who remain in the hand. A poker hand can reach the showdown only if there are callers in the last round of betting.