Poker is a gambling game played by a group of people around a table. The object is to create the best hand out of the cards dealt. Various variants exist, including community card poker, which was introduced around 1925.

While there are many variations of the game, the basic premise is that players place bets and try to form the best possible five-card poker hand. In most cases, the best hand is a pair of jacks.

There are also many different variations of the game, including online and live games. It has become a popular sport, attracting large television audiences. Many people enjoy playing poker at home.

When playing, the players are seated around a circular table, with a dealer at the center. Each player receives a set of five or seven cards, which are shuffled and dealt one at a time.

The pot is an aggregate of all bets made by all players during the deal. Some variations allow for side pots, which are created by additional bets placed by remaining players. Several different versions of the game have different betting intervals.

A common poker variation is called lowball and split-pot. This is a variant of the game, where the players are allowed to use two hole cards, instead of three.

Another variation of the game is stud poker, which was invented during the American Civil War. Stud is similar to other games, but there is one rule that distinguishes it from the rest: the cards are not dealt face down.