Poker is a card game played by two or more players. During a game, players receive five cards from the deck, two of which are of the same suit. The highest hand wins. In addition, the highest pair and highest card in the hand break ties. A high card breaks a tie when no one has a pair or two of a kind.

A player who does not have a pair of jacks is required to make the first bet before the game proceeds to the next betting round. If no one raises during the betting round, the hand goes to a “showdown” where the hand that is best wins. Typically, the game is played over two betting intervals.

In most variations of the game, each player is required to contribute a chip of a certain denomination. Players should also make sure to purchase enough chips so that each player can participate. In some games, a game can have up to seven players. In addition, a poker table must have a poker dealer who can supply poker chips.

The betting process begins with the big blind, and goes clockwise from there. After that, players can fold or call, and raise their chips if necessary. The betting process is repeated until all players fold or showdown their cards.