Often thought to have ancestry with primero and French brelan, poker is a card game played with a normal 52-card deck. Players make bets and raises with their hands, and the best hand wins the pot. There are hundreds of variations of the game. These include:

A “hole card” is a card that is not part of the community cards. It is used to make a straight, flush, or other strong hand. It is half as likely to hit as an open-ended straight. It is also known as a “rock” because it is tight.

The ante is a small bet that all players must make before the hand is dealt. This gives the pot value right away.

A player in the first to act position sits to the immediate left of the big blind. The button is a plastic disk that is passed clockwise after each hand. It is used to indicate the dealer.

After the betting round, any additional cards must be eliminated from the hand. This allows the dealer to deal without burning the card. If the cards have been flopped too many times, a redealt flop occurs.

A straight is a hand of five cards in the same suit. The best possible straight is an eight-high. It can be achieved by any two cards from the outside or by any two cards from the inside.

A flush is a hand of five cards in the lower four suits. It is achieved by hitting a needed card on the turn or the river. A backdoor flush is achieved by hitting a needed card on both the turn and the river.