Generally, poker is a game of chance, but there are some skills involved in playing the game. The game is played using a standard deck of 52 cards. However, the deck can be altered according to the rules of the dealer.
Each player is dealt five cards. The dealer then offers the shuffled pack to the opponent. In certain special hands, the joker counts as the fifth card. If there are no matches among the wild cards, the highest unmatched card is broken by one of the secondary pairs. The highest hand wins the pot.
Poker can be played with as few as two players, or with as many as eight. The ideal number of players is six or eight. In the case of a poker game with fewer than six players, a player who folds may no longer compete in the pot.
Poker games vary in number of rounds of betting and the number of cards dealt. The game may also include a compulsory bet at the beginning of the hand. The bet is known as the ante.
The betting interval is a period of time between each round of betting. After each betting interval, the dealing resumes.
The first player to make a bet is called the bettor. When a bettor bets more than the previous bettor, the bettor is called to raise. Alternatively, if the bettor bets less than the previous bettor, he is called to fold.