Often regarded as an ancestor of French brelan and primero, poker is played with a standard 52-card deck. All variants feature at least one round of betting. In some, the betting interval may be longer.

Most poker forms require a compulsory bet at the beginning of the hand. This is called the ante. The dealer has the last right to shuffle. In tournament play, a professional dealer is used. The dealer charges a small fee from the pot.

The cards are dealt face up, except for a jack of spades. Each player can discard some cards, but must have at least one.

After each player has made their bets, the dealer has the last right to shuffle. Any player may also shuffle. A wild card is an extra card that does not belong to a particular suit. In certain special hands, a joker counts as the fifth card.

The player who has the highest-ranking poker hand wins the pot. The pot is the sum of all bets made by all players in the same deal. Depending on the rules of the game, the player with the best hand may win the pot or bluff.

Players can bluff by making a bet that they have the best hand. If no one calls, the player who has the best hand wins the pot. Often, a player who folds is said to “drop”; this means he or she is no longer competing for the pot.