Poker is a family of card games that is played around the world. It involves comparing cards to form the best hand. Although the rules vary between countries, most variations use a standard deck.

In most poker games, players bet into a pot during the betting round. The pot may be set at a fixed limit. If a player has not enough chips to place in the pot, he or she can “all-in”. When all but one player folds on any round, the last remaining player collects the pot.

In some games, players are allowed to discard three cards during the betting round. They can also choose to bluff, which means they don’t believe they’ll win. But, they still have to show their cards.

Players can also raise, which is a way to increase their bets. Depending on the game, players can raise an ante or a blind bet. Also, they can call, which means they’ll place a certain amount into the pot. Some games also have forced bets, which are blind bets that are placed before the cards are dealt.

Before the start of each hand, the house dealer determines the value of the chips. They’re usually green, but can be blue or red. Cards are generally dealt clockwise around the table.

A five-card hand is common in poker. These are often dealt face-down, but can also be dealt face-up.

Two-pair and three-of-a-kind are two more poker hands. These are combinations of two pocket pairs and a single card. Other hands include straights and flushes.