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Poker is a group of card games in which players gamble on which hand is the best based on the rules of the game in ways that are comparable to these rankings. While the game’s oldest known version used just 20 cards, it is currently commonly played with a conventional deck, while in areas where short packs are prevalent, it may be played with 32, 40, or 48 cards. Thus, while the deck design, number of cards in play, number dealt face up or face down, and number shared by all players vary, all poker games include rules that require one or more rounds of betting.

In the majority of modern poker games, the initial round of betting starts with one or more players placing a forced wager (the blind or ante). In traditional poker, each player bets based on how valuable they perceive their hand is in comparison to the other players. The action then moves clockwise, with each player having to either match (or “call”) the preceding stake’s maximum sum, or fold, forfeiting the amount invested thus far as well as any future involvement in the hand. When a player matches a wager, he or she has the option to “raise” (increase) the stake. When all players have either called or folded the last stake, the betting round is over. On any round in which all but one player folds, the remaining player takes the pot without having to expose their hand. If more than one player is still in the game after the last betting round, a showdown is held in which the hands are disclosed and the person with the best hand wins the pot.

With the exception of early forced bets, money is only freely put into the pot by a player who feels the bet has a positive anticipated value or is attempting to bluff other players for different strategic reasons. While the outcome of every given hand is influenced by chance, the players’ long-term expectations are dictated by their behaviors, which are based on probability, psychology, and game theory.

Since the turn of the century, poker has grown in popularity, evolving from a primarily recreational activity enjoyed by a small group of enthusiasts to a widely popular activity enjoyed by both participants and spectators, including online, with many professional players and multimillion-dollar tournament prizes.

The right to deal a hand in casual play usually rotates among the players and is signified by a marker known as a dealer button (or buck). The cards are dealt by a house dealer in a casino, but the button (usually a white plastic disk) is turned clockwise among the players to designate a notional dealer and establish the betting order. One by one, the cards are dealt clockwise around the poker table.

A forced bet, such as an ante or a blind bet, is typically required of one or more participants (sometimes both). The dealer shuffles the cards, the player in the chair to his right cuts, and the dealer delivers the necessary amount of cards to the players one by one, starting with the person to his left. Depending on the type of poker being played, cards may be dealt face-up or face-down. The first of what might be multiple betting rounds begins after the original contract. Between rounds, the players’ hands change in some way, either by being dealt more cards or replacing cards that have already been dealt. All bets are collected in the central pot at the end of each round.

If one player bets and no opponents opt to call (match) the wager and all opponents instead fold during a betting round, the hand ends instantly, the bettor is given the pot, no cards must be disclosed, and the following hand begins. This is how bluffing is possible. Bluffing is a key characteristic of poker that sets it apart from other competitive games and games that employ poker hand rankings.

If more than one player remains at the end of the last betting round, a showdown occurs, in which the players expose their previously hidden cards and analyze their hands. The pot is won by the player who has the better hand, depending on the poker type being played. A poker hand is made up of five cards; in versions when a player has more than five cards, only the best five-card combination is considered. Straight flush and four of a kind are two of the ten distinct poker hands.

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