Poker is an international game, played with a standard 52-card deck. Some games use multiple decks or a small number of joker cards (dueces or one-eyed jacks).

Poker involves betting and folding. Each player to the left, in turn, either “calls” the bet by putting in exactly as many chips as the previous bettor; “raises,” by putting in more than enough to call the previous bettor; or “drops” (“folds”), by putting no chips into the pot and discarding their hand.

The best hand wins the pot.

Each betting interval begins with the player to the left making a bet. The player to the right, in turn, may “call” the bet by putting in the same number of chips as the previous bettor; “raise” by putting in more than enough to call; or “drop” (“fold”) by putting no chips into the pot and thereby dropping out of the betting until the next deal.

Ties break when there is a high pair, three of a kind, four of a kind, flush or straight. If two hands have a high pair, the next card is used to determine which hand wins, but otherwise all ties are broken by the high card of each hand.

Poker is a game that can get really tough. Even the most experienced players can feel their hands being thrown against the wall in some way or another, leading to serious “Feels bad, man” moments. The key is to remain calm, stay focused and not let your emotions get the best of you.