Poker Basics: Objective

Poker is a card game in which players with fully or partially concealed cards make wagers into a central pot, after which the pot is awarded to the remaining player or players with the best combination of five cards. Most poker variations are played with a standard 52-card deck, divided into four suits (clubs, hearts, spades, diamonds) with thirteen values (from lowest to highest: 2-10 plus Jack, Queen, King, Ace). On each round of betting, players have the option to match the preceding bet, raise the preceding bet, or fold their hand. At the last round of betting, the remaining players show their hands, and the player with the highest ranking hand wins the pot. If everyone but one player has folded, then that player wins and is not required to show his/her cards.

Poker is unlike other card & casino games in that you are not playing against the house or the dealer. Because you are only playing against the other players, winning at poker is particularly strategy-oriented. Successful poker playing relys partially on an understanding of probability and odds, but also on the ability to read the behavior of the other players. There are several variations of poker, the most popular being texas holdem, omaha, seven card stud, and five card draw. The betting structure depends on the poker game that you are playing. The best combination of five cards is determined by traditional hand rankings, which are shown here. In the case of a tie hand, the next highest card, called the "kicker," wins the pot. In extreme cases of tie hands where there is no kicker, the pot is split.