Almost all variants of poker involve a number of rounds of betting. These rounds occur at set intervals, and the last one involving betting will be called the showdown. The winner of a poker hand wins all the chips in the pot. If two identical hands tie, they are broken by the highest unmatched card.
Depending on the rules of the game, players can fold or call their hand. Folding is the act of putting the cards face down on the table, while calling means that the player remains in the hand and is able to continue competing for the pot.
The goal of poker is to make the highest-ranked hand of cards. A straight is a straight hand of five cards starting with the highest card. A flush is a flush hand of four cards. Two of a kind and three of a kind are considered strong hands.
After the cards are dealt, each player may bet, fold, or check. If a player checks, he is said to stay in the hand, while if he folds, he is said to leave. A player may also call, and the player who calls is said to match the previous bet.
Players can be forced to make bets, such as an ante. These forced bets may be blind bets or a forced bet.
The first player to bet is called the “player,” and the player who bets more is called the “raiser.” A player who checks is said to stay in the hand, while one who calls is said to match the previous bet.