As with most card games, poker is a game of chance that can be quite lucrative for players who understand the rules and play well. While many poker games are informal and have their own unique rules, there are some basic principles that all players should be aware of. These include the following:
A standard pack of 52 cards (with some games adding jokers) is used in poker. There are four suits – spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs – and the highest hand wins. Some poker games also allow for wild cards, which may take any suit and rank or be assigned a special name like ‘dueces’ or one-eyed jacks.
It is recommended that all players purchase a set of poker chips. The chips are generally sorted by color and denomination. A white chip is usually worth the minimum ante, a red chip is usually worth five whites, and blue chips are usually worth 10 or more whites. Each player has a maximum number of chips they can bet with, depending on the game.
The dealer will shuffle the cards before dealing. Often two packs of contrasting colors are used, and as each pack is dealt the previous dealer assembles all the cards from the pack he dealt, shuffles them and passes them to the next dealer.
Expenses associated with poker can add up quickly. To prevent this, poker players can agree to a “kitty.” The kitty is built by allowing each player to take one low-denomination chip from each pot in which they raise. This money is placed into the kitty and used to pay for things like new decks of cards, food or drinks. Any chips left in the kitty when a poker game ends are returned to the players.