Traditionally, Poker is played with a group of people around an oval or circular table. The goal of the game is to earn chips by betting until all other players are out of the game. The player with the highest ranking hand wins the pot.
A common rule is that a player may not place any bet directly into the pot. Instead, players make forced bets. These bets may be an ante, blind bet, or a check. If a player makes a forced bet, he or she is considered to be active.
A player may also bluff, meaning they may try to make a bet with the best hand possible. They may also make a bet with the intention of drawing other players into the pot.
Poker is played with 52 cards. Each card is ranked according to its suit. Cards in the same suit are counted as flushes, while cards in different suits are counted as straights. The highest value card is used to start a straight. The high card breaks ties when multiple people have the same card. If two people have a four of a kind with the same rank, the high card outside the four of a kind breaks the tie.
The first player, the one with the highest poker hand, makes the first bet. He or she may also check in later betting intervals. Traditionally, the first bettor makes the smallest bet in the first betting interval.