Poker is a gambling game played with 52 cards. Each hand contains five cards. The best hand wins the pot. A tie is broken when someone gets the highest card.

The cards are ranked from ace to jack. These ranks are not tied, but the best hand is always a higher rank than the lowest. For example, the best straight is 6-4-3-2-A, which is higher than 5-A-K-Q-J, which is lower.

There are four categories of poker hands. They include two pairs, a straight flush, a straight, and a flush. In addition, there are some other categories such as pocket pairs, aces high, and a wild card.

When players make a poker bet, they are taking a turn to reveal their cards. At the end of the betting phase, all players are still in the game.

If no other player calls the bet, the hand is considered a winner. If the bet is matched, the hand is called a raise. An active player is a player who places chips in the pot. However, if a player checks, he or she stays in the game.

The lowest hand is 7-5-4-3-2 in two or more suits. This beats a straight flush. It is also the lowest pair. Likewise, it is better than a pair of aces.

Identical pairs are also compared, and the highest unmatched card breaks a tie. Then, the second pair is the winner.

One type of poker is called fours of a kind, but it is not an actual type of hand. Instead, it is a combination of four cards of the same rank. In some games, this is referred to as quads.