During a poker game, the goal of each player is to get as many chips as possible from the other players. The player with the highest hand wins the pot. Poker can be played with any number of players and can be a spectator sport. The most common poker games involve an ante and blind bet.

The earliest version of poker in Europe was probably played in 17th century France. The game is thought to have spread to the New World via French settlers and Persian sailors.

A hand is formed by using five cards. The highest card gives the hand its value. A straight flush starts with the highest value card, followed by five cards of the same suit.

In addition to the standard poker hands, some games have wild cards. These can be any suit. Wild cards can break ties when a number of players have the same card. Some variant games also have jokers.

Players will need to read their opponents, estimating the likelihood of their opponents to make a particular hand. They may also bet their hand. The player with the highest hand wins the pot if no one else calls.

After the initial round of dealing, the cards are dealt face up in rotation to the left. The highest card breaks ties when there are several people with the same card. Similarly, the lowest card is the lowest pair.

If no one has a pair, the highest unmatched card breaks ties. A flush is the best natural hand. A straight flush is the second-best hand.