In Poker, each player receives five cards face-down. The player must make a forced bet, which may be an ante or a blind bet, before the dealer can begin playing the hand. After the ante is placed, the dealer will cut or shuffle the deck, and deal the cards to each player one by one. The cards are dealt face-up or face-down, depending on the type of poker. During the betting phase between the newly dealt cards, players develop their hands.

Players may also choose to share the money won. In split pot poker, each player may agree to share the pot, which means they will get a portion of the money but still win some. This game is referred to as the easiest to learn. The players must decide whether or not to share the money won from the pot, which will be determined by the highest-ranking hand. The split pot option allows players to win money even if their hand is weak.

The lowest possible hand in poker is a pair of five-cards, a pair, or three of a kind. In some games, the ace is treated as the lowest card. If more than one player has a pair of five-card hands, the winner is the player with the best hand. For example, a three-card hand would win the pot if it was higher than a pair of five-cards.