Poker is a betting game where each player must make a wager on the hand that will win the pot. It is a popular gambling game played in casinos and private homes. The winner is determined by the highest-ranked hand.

To begin the game, each player is dealt a full set of cards. These are either face up or face down. Each card is worth a different amount of money. For example, a red chip is worth five whites, a blue chip is worth ten whites, and a white chip is worth a whopping 25 whites.

When a player’s cards are revealed, he is considered the active player. He may be able to raise the bet or check to remain in the game. If he checks, he must drop his hand and collect the pot.

A hand that contains the most number of cards is called a full house. A full house is composed of three aces and two 6s.

A flush is a five-card hand. In some variations, a straight is also considered a five-card hand. However, a straight is not necessarily comprised of five cards of the same suit.

The highest-ranked hand wins the pot. This is often the case in games of poker, but it is not always so. Sometimes, a hand is considered low when in fact it is actually high.

The best poker hand is a hand that includes the highest single card, plus the lowest pair of cards. There is no limit to the number of players at a table, although it is usually not possible to have more than six or eight.