The Basics of Poker

Although the earliest known version of poker is apocryphal, its bluffing and misdirection spirit are present to this day. The word poker was likely first derived from the 17th century French game poque. This game evolved into two other forms, the German pochen and the new version of primero. This game spread from Europe to North America with the help of French settlers. Until this day, no one is sure how it came to be named after one of these two games.

The game of poker involves betting rounds. Blind and ante bets are placed before the round begins. Players are dealt five cards face up and face down. After each round of dealing, a betting interval is held. At the end of the fourth betting interval, all players are shown their hole cards. During the first betting interval, the player with the best poker combination is deemed the first bettor and must bet a minimum amount. This can be checked at a later stage.

The lowest possible hand in poker is a pair of aces. When a pair of aces is the lowest hand, it is the best hand. The second highest card in the hand breaks the tie. When more than one player has two pairs, the player with the highest pair wins. A straight is a five-card hand. If two players have a straight, the player with the higher card wins the pot. In a poker game, the player with the highest hand wins.