Poker is a game of chance where players try to form the best possible hand using five cards. While it is often played in casinos, poker is also played in private homes.

To play, all players buy the same number of chips. The player with the highest ranking poker hand wins the pot.

Each player is dealt five cards face up. They must make a bet, fold, or reveal their hand to the other players.

A poker variant can include a special fund called the kitty. This fund is used to pay for a new deck of cards.

A hand containing five cards in sequence is known as a flush. Alternatively, a hand containing five cards of the same suit is known as a straight.

In a straight, the highest card wins. For example, a straight of two deuces beats a straight flush. Similarly, a hand containing four cards of the same rank wins.

One of the earliest and most common forms of poker was three-card brag, which evolved from the earlier Primero game. Today, this game is still popular in the U.K. and in other parts of the world.

Other variations of the game include poker texas hold’em, Three-Card Monte and the Spit-in-the-Ocean. Most modern versions of the game involve a standard 52-card deck.

The simplest way to play is with a group of five or six. Some variants feature two separate games with more than ten players.