Originally played with 36 card Piquet deck, Poker has now become a worldwide pastime. Its popularity was greatly increased by televised poker in the turn of the millennium.
Each player is dealt a facedown card. The goal of the game is to form the best five card hand. The highest ranked hand wins the pot. The second highest ranked hand breaks the tie. A straight of five cards is sometimes used as the final showdown.
Each player is then able to shuffle their own cards. They can also take new cards from the top of the deck. They may discard up to three cards. A player can then “cut” or bluff another player by placing a bet with the best hand.
After the first betting round, each player can choose to check, call, or raise. The player who checks is said to stay in. The player who raises is called to raise.
The player who bets is called the bettor. He or she is the player with the highest ranked poker combination. The player with the best ranked hand then wins the pot. The players who bet during the betting rounds are said to be “active” players.
During the last betting round, the player with the best hand wins the pot. When the final round of betting is complete, the players reveal their hands. The best hand is usually the highest ranking hand. In some games, the ace is considered to be the lowest card.