Unlike other card games, poker requires a proper card combination to be successful. In order to make the best poker hand, a player needs to use a combination of cards from the community and his own cards. For example, a pair of aces is a winning hand for a player to use. Similarly, a straight flush is a five-card consecutive hand of different suits.
The cards are then distributed face up to the players in a rotation. The player who is first to act is obligated to make the first bet, and other players may be required to contribute to the pot before the deal begins. Once the first round of betting is complete, dealing is resumed. The dealer takes the last turn to shuffle the cards. When the dealer is done with the shuffle, each player is then dealt two hole cards. The first player to act is said to be the bettor, and he or she is the player with the most chips.
The turn is then passed to the left by each player. Each player may then decide to make a bet, and may also choose to bluff. In the case of a bluff, a player’s hand is not necessarily the best, but he or she may still win the pot if no other players call the bet. A player who bets more than the last bettor is said to raise. When the player calls, he or she is said to check. Similarly, a player who checks is said to stay in, and a player who declines to fold is said to drop.
The highest-ranking hand wins the pot. If no player calls the bet, it is called a showdown. The players then show their full hand, and the winner is the player with the best five card hand. The best hand may be a four-of-a-kind, a pair of aces, a jack of spades, or a straight flush. A joker counts as the fifth card in certain special hands, and all four deuces are wild cards.
Once the turn is complete, the player who received the jack of spades becomes the first dealer. He or she has the privilege of making the next bet, and other players must then match the bet. The next player to bet, and the next player to call, are each obligated to make a bet. Likewise, each player may shuffle their cards, and may also choose to bluff.
After the last betting interval has been completed, the dealer takes the last turn to shuffle. This is called the “dealer button,” and it is the nominal dealer for betting purposes. When the dealer is done with the slush, he or she can then offer the shuffled slush to the opponent for cut.
The round disc is called the “dealer button” because it indicates the nominal dealer for betting purposes. Similarly, each “street” has a different name. The goal of cash games is to win money, and the goal of tournaments is to be at the top of the chip leader-board.
