Poker is a card game played with a deck of cards. It is a gambling game with a low house edge, and is one of the most popular card games in the world. It is also a skill game, and consists of bluffing and betting.

Rules and strategies for poker vary, but all variants share some basic principles. These principles include:

Getting the best hand out of the cards dealt.

In most variations, players are dealt a complete hand of five or seven cards, and the goal is to make the highest possible hand from those five or seven cards.

The player with the best hand wins.

A standard poker hand comprises five cards, and the rank of a poker hand is determined by its odds (probability). For example, a pair of jacks beats any hand with two or more suited cards.

Straight: A straight is a hand of three consecutive cards that have the same suit. It includes aces, kings, queens, and jacks.

Royal flush: A royal flush is a royal ace-king-queen-jack, and is the best poker hand possible.

Jokers: In some versions of poker, a joker is added to the deck. Wild cards are used in some versions of poker, and can be a substitute for any other card.

Betting rounds and all-in: The first round of betting is called the ante, which is a small bet that each player must contribute before a hand is dealt.

After the ante, each player receives five cards face down and must act according to their position in the hand. Normally, the player to the left of the big blind is first to act. If no player raises the big blind, the player to the left of the small blind is next to act.