Poker is a card game in which players bet on the strength of their cards. Each player must place an ante (the amount varies with the game) and then each player has the opportunity to make one or more bets. The highest hand wins the pot. A hand consists of two or more cards matched in rank and suit, or five consecutive cards of the same suit. Some games include the joker as a wild card, and the ace of spades, jack of hearts and king of diamonds are sometimes designated as “the nut.” The first player to raise during a betting interval is said to “scoop up” the pot.
Players have the option to keep their cards after placing their bets, discard them and take new ones from the top of the deck, or drop them. Those who choose to drop their cards are said to fold. If all but one player folds during a betting round, the remaining players reveal their hands and the player with the highest hand wins the pot.
In some games, a token called the dealer button rotates clockwise among the players to indicate a nominal dealer. In other games, the dealer deals each player a complete set of five cards. The game may be played with any number of players. Betting in poker varies between different games and among poker clubs, but most of the time the player with the best hand wins the pot.