Originally called poque, poker is a game of chance and strategy. A player’s goal is to develop the best hand. Players may also bluff their opponents.
Each player is dealt a pack of cards, either face-up or face-down. The first player has the privilege of making the first bet. If no player raises, the first player’s bet is known as the ante.
The player who wins the hand collects the pot and the player with the highest hand is declared the winner. If a tie occurs among two identical hands, ties are broken by the highest unmatched cards. A pair of aces beats a straight flush.
Poker is generally played with a standard 52-card deck. Players can also use jokers and two contrasting packs to speed up the game.
The earliest version of Poker in Europe is probably poque, a 17th-century French game. The game made its way to the New World via French settlers.
The game became more organized in the 1970s. It also gained popularity during the Internet boom of the 1990s. Poker tournaments broadcasted on cable and satellite distributors have boosted the popularity of the game. The popularity of online Poker has made the game a popular spectator sport.
In most poker games, players make two or more betting intervals. Each betting interval starts with a bet of one or more chips. When all the players have placed a bet, the betting interval ends. After the final betting interval, a showdown occurs.