Poker is a card game of chance played by two or more players. It involves betting between all players and the object is to win the pot, which is the sum of bets made on each deal. The game has a wide range of variants and can be played with any number of cards. In some forms, the pack is shuffled before each deal, and in others the cards are dealt face up from a revolving tray. A player may raise his or her stakes in turn, but must either match the highest bet or fold his or her hand.
The word poker is thought to derive from a French phrase meaning “to beat the game.” Its early history is uncertain, but the modern form of poker first appears in a 1904 book called Practical Poker, and it later appeared in several editions of Hoyle’s Games. The game is believed to have developed from earlier vying games involving three cards, such as Belle, Flux & Trente-un (French, 17th – 18th centuries), Post & Pair (English and American, late 18th century – present) and Bouillotte (later 19th century, French and American).
Players are dealt 2 private cards known as hole cards. There is then a round of betting which starts with the player on the left. Three more cards are then dealt, known as the flop. This is followed by a single card, known as the turn and then a final card, known as the river. There are many possible combinations of hands, but the highest is a flush (5 cards of consecutive rank) or three of a kind (2 matching cards of one rank plus a pair).