Poker is a card game of skill and chance, played in many forms throughout the world. It is most popular in the United States, where it has become a national pastime and is widely played in home games, in clubs, at casino gambling tables, and over the Internet. It is sometimes referred to as the national card game of America, and its play and jargon are pervasive in American culture.
During a hand, players place forced bets (ante or blind) and are then dealt cards. Each player then has the option to call, raise, or fold. The cards are then revealed and the winner is determined. The amount of money raised is called the pot. The object of the game is to win the pot by having a high-ranking poker hand at the end of each deal.
Each player has two personal cards in their hands (known as hole cards) and five community cards are dealt to the table in three stages, known as the flop, the turn, and the river. The highest five-card poker hand wins. A straight contains five consecutive cards of the same suit. A flush contains any five cards of the same suit in sequence, including the ace. A full house consists of three matching cards of one rank and two unmatched cards of another rank. Two pair consists of two cards of one rank with two matching cards of another rank, such as two sixes.