The Basics of Poker

Poker is a card game where players wager with chips. Generally, poker hands consist of five cards. Various forms of poker use a single deck or multiple decks and may include jokers. The playing cards are ranked from Ace high to Ace low. The hand with the highest card value wins. Most forms of poker require a mandatory bet at the start of the hand (the “ante”).

The earliest recorded versions of poker date from the 17th century, when French players played a game called poque. This game was a modified version of the Spanish primero. Later, the French settled in North America and spread the game. But despite the game’s European origins, there are many theories about the origin of poker.

In addition to betting, Poker has a “kitty” in which players can deposit money. The kitty is a special fund, built up by cutting a low denomination chip from each pot with more than one raise. The money in the kitty belongs to every player and is distributed among players who remain in the game. However, players who leave the Poker table before the game ends do not get their share of the kitty.

The lowest hand in poker is a pair of five cards of the same suit. In some games, the ace is also treated as the lowest card. In such cases, the higher card wins.