Originally a card game, poker is played by a group of players around a table, with the object being to create the best hand. The cards are ranked from Ace to Jack, and a hand can contain any combination of cards from four suits.

The game is played with a standard pack of 52 cards. Some variants of poker use multiple packs, and may also include wild cards. During the American Civil War, many new poker games were introduced, including stud poker and draw poker. The highest hand wins the pot. Some games divide the pot between the highest and lowest hands.