Basic Rules of Poker

A basic rule of poker is that each round of the game has a dealer who is responsible for shuffling the deck and dealing cards to players. In some variations, a non-player is given the role of dealer for the entire game. This role rotates between players and is designated by a dealer chip, which is passed to the next player after every round. The dealer has specific responsibilities, and the game has many different betting rules, which depend on where the dealer is located.

A player can check the pot or fold when another player raises his or her hand. In addition to the board cards, each player has a number of chips in his or her hand. Poker chips come in different colors and are red, black, blue, or green. The dealer assigns a value to each chip before the game begins, and the dealer exchanges cash for the chips when players check their cards. Once a hand has a high pair, a player can check the pot and make a decision.

In most games, the lowest hand is a pair of aces. In other games, the lowest hand is a pair of sevens. In some games, the ace is treated as the lowest card. For example, if the ace is in the hand of a player, the lowest hand is a five-of-a-kind. A straight flush, which is the best hand, beats a pair of aces.