How to Play Online Poker

Using a deck of 52 cards, each ranked from Ace to Ten, players wager on the best hand of five cards. Poker can be a complicated game, and some variations use jokers, wild cards, and multiple packs of cards.

Most games involve a blind bet, or a pre-deal ante. An ante is a small amount of money that all players must put into the pot before the cards are dealt. In some games, players are allowed to raise more chips on top of their opponents’ bets.

The cards are then dealt face down and face up. After the cards are dealt, betting goes on in clockwise order until all players have folded. The player with the best hand wins the pot. Ties are broken by the high card. If there are two or more people with the same high card, the tie is broken by the second highest card.

The best poker hand is made up of three distinct pairs of cards and a fifth card, referred to as a flush. If there are two distinct pairs and a fifth card, it is known as a Full House. When there is a tie, the winner is the highest straight. If there are two or more straights of the same value, they are split into two pots.

A “backdoor flush” is achieved when the player hits the needed cards during the turn and river. During a showdown, the highest straight of five cards is the winning hand.