There are several types of hands in poker. The best hand is a straight flush, which is five cards in a row of the same rank. The ace can be high or low, but cannot wrap around the other cards in a straight flush. A straight flush is also called a royal flush. Here are a few common hand rankings:
The highest hand wins the pot. A poker game can be played with as few as two players, but the ideal number is six or eight players. The goal of the game is to win the “pot,” which is the sum of bets made by all players in a single deal. You can win the pot by having the best poker hand, or by making a bet that no other players call.
The lowest hand is a five-card combination of cards of the same suit, or a pair of aces. If you have more than one five-card combination, you may fold. If you have two pairs, the higher card wins. Usually, players fold when they have a weak hand. A five-card hand is a good hand, but a four-of-a-kind is a great hand.
Once the betting rounds are over, each player should evaluate the table and see which hand is better. After the “flop,” the dealer will reveal five cards. The five cards are community cards. The players can then choose to hold the cards they hold or discard them. If no one else has a higher hand, a replacement card is drawn.