The Basics of Poker

When playing poker, you must make forced bets, such as an ante or blind bet, to enter the game. After the ante is placed, the dealer shuffles and cuts the deck. He then deals out five cards, one at a time, to all players. These cards are usually dealt face-up or face-down, depending on the variant of the game. In between rounds, poker hands develop. If you have a pair of aces, you have a flush. If you have five of the same suit, you’ll have a straight.

During a Poker game, players may establish a special fund, called the kitty. A player’s kitty is a pool of money that he may use to buy new decks of cards or even eat. These chips are shared equally among the remaining players. Those who leave the game before the end of the hand are not eligible to receive their share of kitty chips. In fixed-limit poker, players cannot change the amounts of bets or raises.

Almost every type of poker game uses poker chips. The lowest-value chip is a white one. A red chip is worth five whites. A blue chip is worth ten or twenty-five, depending on the game. If there are more than seven players, a deck of chips should be provided. The chips are valued according to their value. Each player “buys in” by purchasing one chip in the pot, usually the same amount.