Poker is a family of card games that can be played by many people at once. The game involves a deck of cards, a pot, and a series of betting rounds. Typically, the best hand is awarded the pot. However, there are variants in which the pot is divided equally between the lowest and highest hands.

There are several types of poker, but the standard variant uses a 52-card deck. Some variations use multiple packs or add jokers. In a typical poker game, a player’s hand is evaluated based on the value of the lowest card in each suit.

The high card breaks ties when several people have a hand of the same rank. It also gives the highest possible hand, but this is only necessary if the cards are all of the same type.

The three card brag is a popular gentleman’s game from the American Revolution. Today, it is a very popular poker variant.

A straight is a sequence of five cards in different suits, with the highest card being the first. Sometimes the straight is used as the final showdown.

The best hand is a pair of kings or a flush, which is two distinct pairs plus a fifth card. These are the two most common hands in any poker game.

Some poker games allow players to discard two or three of their cards. They can also choose to “check” or fold their hand.

Other poker variations have special wild cards that can supplement any other card.