Poker is a card game played in which the highest hand wins the pot. However, some variations of the game also award the pot to the player with the lowest hand. The highest hand is the hand that has at least two pairs, but does not contain the ace or king. Also, some variations do not consider straights or flushes when determining the winner, and instead divide the pot between the high and low hand.

Each hand in a game of poker begins with betting intervals. The first player has the privilege or obligation of placing the first bet, and the remaining players must make the same amount as the previous player. The remaining players also contribute money to a side pot. This side pot is usually smaller, but it can also be large.

The number of players in a game of poker varies, but the ideal number is six or eight people. Poker is played with poker chips, which are usually made of ceramic or plastic. Real money is sometimes used to place bets, but using chips is much more convenient. Poker chips are also easier to manage than real money and can be exchanged for cash when the time comes.

Some poker positions require forced bets. In this case, the player sitting to the left of the dealer has the small blind and the player two positions to the left of the dealer has the big blind. When a player has a full house, he can sandbag the game by betting on the river. Then, the player must raise the pot.