How to Play Poker

Poker is a card game that has millions of fans worldwide. It’s a fast-paced game and players can bet on their hands in a rapid manner. It’s important to know how to read other players. This involves observing their body language, facial expressions, gestures and breathing. Reading tells can help you make better decisions while playing poker.

Poker can be played with any number of players, but it’s best with six to eight people. Each player must pay a small amount, called an ante, to be dealt cards. After the deal, there’s a betting interval where each player may call, raise or fold. The person who has the highest hand wins the pot.

After a series of betting intervals, each player shows their hands. A hand with five cards of consecutive rank is a straight. Four of a kind is three cards of the same rank and two other unmatched cards. Two pair is two cards of the same rank plus two other unmatched cards. A flush is five cards of the same suit.

Most games are played using a standard deck of 52 cards. Some variants use more than one deck or add a few extra cards to the mix. Some of these extras are known as jokers. There’s also a custom that players establish a special fund, called a kitty, to cover the cost of new decks of cards and drinks. When a game ends, any chips left in the kitty are divided among the players who remain in the poker.