During a round of poker, each player has a number of betting options. Players can choose to fold, stay in, or call. Typically, the player who has the highest hand wins the pot. Occasionally, players will bluff to win. The purpose of bluffing is to project confidence in your hand.
In most poker variants, each player receives a number of cards to play. Each card is dealt face-up. The dealer (the person who has the last card in the deck) has the final right to shuffle the pack.
In Texas Holdem, three community cards are dealt face-up. Each player has five cards and must use these cards to make their best hand. The wild cards are not considered part of the hand. If two players have the same hand, a tie is broken by the highest unmatched card. The wild cards include the king of spades, the jack of hearts, and the joker.
Generally, a full 52-card deck is used. This is in contrast to the older style, which uses a smaller number of cards. A normal hand may consist of a pair, four deuces, two aces, two spades, and a straight. In some special hands, the joker counts as the fifth card.
Poker is played with plastic or ceramic chips. Some players are required to contribute a portion of their chips to the pot before the deal. This is called a rake. During high stakes games, the impact of the rake is lessened.