Poker is a card game in which players place bets with chips (representing money) to compete for the best five-card hand. The player with the highest hand wins all of the chips in the pot. In some cases there may be a tie among the highest hands, and the players share the winnings.
Each player starts with two cards that are dealt face-down to them (hidden from other players). After each person has received their cards they can either call the current bet (put in more chips than the previous player) or raise it. Players can also decide to fold their cards.
Then 3 cards are dealt face up in the center of the table (revealed to all players). These are called the flop. Players can then use these cards to make their best 5-card hand. The betting phase begins again with the player to the left of the big blind.
A player’s highest hand is a royal flush, which consists of four matching cards of the same rank, or a straight, which has 5 consecutive cards of the same suit. A full house consists of three matching cards of one rank and two matching cards of another rank, or a pair. The highest pair wins ties, and the high card breaks ties when no other hands qualify.
In addition to being a fun and exciting game, poker can help students learn important decision-making skills. It can also help them develop a better understanding of probability and statistics.