The Basics of Poker

Poker

In the game of poker, two players have a chance to win if they have two distinct pairs of cards. Similarly, when two players have the same pair, the one with the higher card wins. Tiebreakers are the high cards outside the four of a kind. High card hands win if two players have four of a kind or better. A straight, made up of all five cards of the same suit, wins if all five cards are the same rank.

Suppose two players have the same hand and the dealer is on the other side of the table. If Brad’s pair is higher, it means that Brad’s hand is weaker than Charley’s. If Brad checks, he’ll likely have a flush or straight. In addition, if Charley checks, he could have three kings off the deal. So, he raises a dime. When the dealer puts his hand back in the pot, the dealer will reveal the high card.

Depending on the type of poker, the goal of a game may vary. The goal of cash games is to win money, while the aim of tournaments is to reach the top of the chip leaderboard. In both games, the winning poker hand must be the highest five-card combination at showdown. Hence, it is important to note that a high-card hand might not win the game. And a Royal Flush could be anything from a high-card to a straight-flush.