The game of poker is a card game that can be played by two or more players. The standard deck contains 52 cards, four of each type and four different suits. Most games are played with chips instead of cash, which is easier to count, keep track of, and make change with. Historically, players preferred to use chips to trade instead of money. There are several different denominations of chips, each representing a dollar amount. The game of poker has many variations, which are described further in this chapter.
A hand that is the best at a particular moment is known as the “nuts.” This hand consists of a pair of aces and a pair of sevens, with the lowest card in the deck being the ace. If you have a hand of aces and a pair of sixes, your “nuts” is a five, and any pair higher than seven beats the counterfeited hand. In live poker, the dealer is represented by a button that is passed clockwise after each hand.
Each round in the game is called a “bet round”. A player may have several bet rounds before a hand is declared the winner. The bets of each round are accumulated into the pot. This makes the pot large enough to cover all of the players’ bets. The kitty is also used to buy new decks of cards and food. The kitty is divided among players that remain in the game. A player who is all-in, however, is not entitled to any kitty chip.