Poker is a gambling game in which players try to get the best hand. To start a game, players must ante a small amount. The amount will vary depending on the game. Then, players make bets into the center of the table. The player who has the highest hand wins the pot. During a round, each player has three options to decide whether to bet – fold, match the bet, or raise.
The dealer button is a white plastic disc that designates the dealer. The dealer is the player who deals the cards for each hand and will decide which cards are dealt. In casual play, the dealer rotates among the players. In a game with a house dealer, the dealer will handle the cards for each hand. The dealer button is also used to determine the betting order.
When playing poker, players usually use poker chips. The lowest value chip is a white chip, while the highest value chip is a red chip. When playing a game with at least seven people, the dealer should have chips for every player. There are also dark colored chips, which represent ten, twenty, or 25 whites.
Poker can be played with as few as two players, but the ideal number is between six and eight. A game of poker is usually played with one pack of cards, although two packs of contrasting colors can be used to speed up the game. The dealer begins by dealing the first card, then shuffles the remaining cards. The previous dealer then puts the dealt pack on the left side of the table. After discarding the cards, another round of betting occurs.