The goal of the game of poker is to make the best hand out of the cards dealt to you. To do this, you must make bets until all of the other players have either folded or called. The player with the best hand wins the pot, which is the money that has been bet during the course of the game. The process of betting in poker proceeds clockwise and continues until all players have called or folded. However, there are several variations of the game, so it’s important to know the rules and strategy before starting a game.

In Poker, players are required to make a pre-deal contribution to the pot, known as the ante. Once the pot is filled, the first player to bet is said to have “bet.” A player who matches the previous bet is said to call, and a player who raises more money than the previous bettor is called a “raise.” Players can also check their cards, which means they are not betting.

When using only a standard pack, the highest possible hand is a straight flush. This hand contains five cards of the same suit, in order of rank. An ace can be high or low, but it must be the highest card in the hand. The highest hand is a royal flush, which is the highest in poker and has a 1 in 650,000 chance of winning. The next highest hand is four of a kind. This can consist of four aces or four 3s. In the case of a straight flush, the highest unmatched card and the second-high card break the tie.