Poker is a card game that involves betting. You place your bets in a pot known as the pot. If you win, you are awarded a share of the pot. However, if you lose, you forfeit your share. There are two types of bets: side pots and main pots.

Poker is usually played with a table and chairs. Depending on the type of game, it can involve as many as nine players. The object of the game is to win as much chips as possible from the opponents. This requires some strategic planning and bluffing. It is also important to keep a cool demeanor, especially if you are bluffing.

Ideally, your hand will have at least two pairs. If two players tie with the same hand, the odd chips are distributed to the high hand. If two players have equal hands, the pot is divided as equally as possible. The odd chip goes to the player with the highest card in a particular suit. Alternatively, if more than one player has a high hand of the same suit, the high card will break a tie.

A poker hand consists of five cards. In poker, each card is worth its value. The highest possible hand is five of a kind, and a five-of-a-kind beats a straight flush.