Poker is a family of card games played worldwide. Players bet over their best hand according to the rules of the game. Some games involve more rounds of betting than others. The game may be played with any number of players, although the ideal number is usually six to eight.

In the past, the best hand consisted of five cards, usually face up. However, modern poker is normally played with a standard deck.

The card deck varies from country to country. In some countries, short packs of cards are used, while in other countries, full 52-card decks are used.

There are three basic types of bets: ante, bluffing and forced bets. The ante is a contribution to the pot made by each player before the first round of betting. Bluffing involves betting that you have the best hand, without actually having it. On the other hand, forced bets are bets that a player is forced to make.

Typical poker games award the pot to the player with the highest ranking hand. In some games, however, the pot is split between the lowest and highest hands.

The game of poker can be played with any number of players. Typically, the minimum number of players in a poker game is six to eight.

Poker games may also involve more rounds of betting than others. Some games have betting intervals, in which a round of betting is interrupted for a certain amount of time.