Typically, poker games are played by a group of people around an oval or circular table. The goal is to collect a pot by having the best hand at the end of the game. There are many different variations of the game, though. Some include jokers, wild cards, and multiple packs. These games may use different methods of card dealing, and some may even allow players to pass on an option to bet.

A poker hand includes five cards. There are four suits, and each suit is ranked differently. A full house is a hand made up of two cards from each suit. A straight is made up of five cards in the same suit. The best hand is a five-card combination, such as a straight flush. A four-of-a-kind is four cards of the same rank. A pair is made up of two cards of the same suit and one card of another suit.

When two people have four-of-a-kind, the highest card breaks the tie. If there are more than one high card, the highest card outside of four-of-a-kind breaks the tie. The highest card outside of four-of-a-kind wins if the players have a pair of the same rank.

The initial dealer is chosen by the player receiving the highest card from the shuffled deck. The dealer then passes out the cards to the players. The dealer may pass out all the cards at once, or may split them into sets.