Poker is a card game that is played by two or more players. A standard 52-card deck is used and sometimes jokers are included to increase the difficulty level of the game. Most poker games use chips instead of cash as the standard form of payment. They are easier to count and stack than cash, so players often trade them with other players. The size of a chip varies according to the type of poker game being played.

When the betting phase ends, only players with a higher hand win the pot. After the betting phase, players reveal their cards clockwise around the table. The winner is the player with the highest five-card hand. When both players are tied, they split the pot. This process is repeated until one player wins the pot.

The most common type of poker is Texas Hold’Em. The game begins with each player placing a small bet, often $1 or $5. The dealer then deals two cards to each player. The goal of the game is to have the strongest five-card hand, known as the best poker hand. The player who has the strongest hand wins the round, and any money that they have bet on the hand will be paid back to them.

The first step in creating the right poker hand is determining what a player’s range is. There are a variety of factors that can influence this, including position, the number of opponents, the size of the pot, the percentages of each hand, and more.