Poker is a family of card games where players wager on which hand is best according to the specific game’s rules. These games vary in their deck configuration, number of cards dealt face up or down, number of rounds of betting, and the number of players involved.

The earliest known form of Poker was played with a 20-card pack (A-K-Q-J-10), evenly dealt amongst four players, without draw and in which bets were made on a narrow range of combinations: one pair, two pairs, triplets, ‘full’, and four of a kind. The royal flush was a rare and unbeatable hand in these early forms.

Most poker games are played in multiple betting rounds, between which players may make a call or raise the amount of their previous bet. If more than one player remains in the hand, a showdown is held where the hands are revealed and the winner collects the pot.

Some games also have the option of a draw, in which a player discards some of his original cards and replaces them with new ones from the undealt portion of the deck. These games were introduced in the 19th century, and a variant called dealer’s choice subsequently became popular.

The most popular form of poker is Texas hold ’em. This type of poker is often played in casinos and on television. It is also an extremely popular game online, where it is possible to play for money and win real cash prizes. The popularity of Poker has grown steadily over the past centuries, and is set to continue for many more years to come.